Corporate Takedown
by Extreme-Anime
Summary: He was rich, a business man, and after a recent nasty breakup, single. All he wanted was a new executive assistant, but what he got was a world of hurt, love and mystery. Full better Summary inside. Sess/Rin AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to my new fic =D The idea came to me while I was playing grand thief auto, lol. Anyways, enjoy. Read and review please. -AF**

**Corporate Take down**

**Full Summary-**

Sesshomaru is a powerful, rich business man. Being the chief business development officer at his CEO father's company Takahashi corporation, he has been able to enjoy the many perks of the wealthy life. But with luxury there is a catch. His father just recently informed him that he was finishing his permanent CEO successor list soon. In that time Sesshomaru had to convince his father that he was capable of falling in love and settling down, or his name would never see the CEO papers. Sesshomaru is thrown out of his comfortable world and into one that involved hurt from his last relationship, the possible love of another woman, and her mysterious & concealed past.

**Chapter one- Intro **

Not many people had as great as a life as Sesshomaru. Many envied him, many were flat out jealous, but none of these opinions phased the man. The saying born with a silver spoon in one's mouth was a vague and inappropriate way to describe his upbringing.

He wanted for nothing, always gifted with the best his mother and father could afford and that was anything imaginable. His upbringing would have been 100% normal as far as a child of wealthy parents went, however his father was responsible for the large percent of damage he had undergone at the age of 15.

Sesshomaru never really considered his self a mothers boy, merely loving both of his parents mutually. Yet when his mother died that snowy morning in a car accident, nothing seemed the same anymore. The money, the gifts, never wanting, it didn't seem to matter anymore.

He knew that the cause for his mother's recklessness was due to the slowly but surely decaying relationship between her and his father. He heard them argue a considerable amount of times, the yelling almost doubling the weeks before her untimely end. Though that was not a direct connect to his father, Sesshomaru had spent the remainder of his teen years blaming him.

It was especially hard when his father remarried a few years later when he was just shy of 17. The couple sickened him, and Sesshomaru had acted quiet careless during the early years of their relationship. He still remember the day his father had gripped him up after he had 'accidentally' told Izayoi that she would never belong, and the look in his angered amber eyes almost made his gasp.

After that, he slowly came around to Izayoi, and it became apparent that she only wanted the best for him. Time past and he moved out, seeking an education in business just as his father had. Inutaisho was delighted upon hear his son's interest, and immediately used his connections to get him into the best schools.

During his third year of business school, his father told him of his half brother, Inuyasha, who had been conceived years before the termination of his first marriage. To his father's surprise and relief, he did not feel the harshness of this truth. Even when he learned Inuyasha was only five years younger there was no feelings of anger. Though at first, Sesshomaru had to conceal his slight unease with a half-breed, but the feelings dissolved.

To this day their relationship wasn't the best, but it was a quiet, understanding brother love.

Now in present day, at the age of 25, Sesshomaru was sure he couldn't get anymore content with his life. He had money, power, position, and love was trivial when there were woman so willing.

_Beep._

The soft noise brought Sesshomaru out of his reflective musing and back into the real world. Glancing at the caller id, he then placed a long slender finger on the speaker button.

"Yes?"

"_Hey boss. I know you said to be in your office at 2:30, but the traffic is really ridiculous! I'm sorry if I'm a little late."_

Sesshomaru could of swore he heard a car door shut, and a man's voice in the background.

"Get here."

He ended the call before she could say anything else. At that moment, his office door opened and a man walked in. He was a good height with a muscular lean body and short black hair tied in a small ponytail. His tie was loosened along with three buttons of his starched collard white shirt.

He flashed a smile to Sesshomaru before taking a seat; his focus on the blackberry in his hands.

"So, did you fire Kanon yet?" Miroku glanced up at his long term friend, smirking when he was given a look.

"If she was on time for anything, I may have already. You know how that goes." Miroku shook his head and shrugged.

"She seemed well rounded when I hired her."

"You was probably looking at her ass, not her resume." Sesshomaru shook his head, and ran a hand through his silver locks before securing it in a low ponytail. He leaned back in his chair,momentarily enjoying it's comfort.

Miroku was the chief of human resources; as good as he was at his job he was still a womanizer and a sucker for a good looking woman. Kanon was no doubt a product of his slower thinking mind in the presence of one.

"Hey, she had top marks in business assisting and good recommendations. I'm not totally at fault here." A crooked smile formed on his lips, and he too leaned back in his chair. Sesshomaru gave him a hard look.

"I'm tired of going through new assistants every three months, Miroku. This time, I want only the best, or nothing at all. You know the usual requirements."

Miroku sat forward, looking up towards the ceiling and balling up one of his hands into a fist.

"lets see." He stuck out one finger, "Went to business school, top grades in high school, strictly female, no boyfriend because they are distractions-."

_Beep._

Sesshomaru held up a finger to his friend and pressed the button on his phone.

"Yes?"

"_Sir, Kanon is here to see you now."_

Golden eyes glanced at the clock; 3:10. Late.

"_Send her in." _

He exchanged looks with Miroku before leaning back in his chair. Kanon walked in, smiling, and pulling down her gray pencil skirt. She batted her eyes at Miroku, who promptly ignored her and pretended to be busy with an email on his phone.

She seemed to shrug it off, and faced forward to her boss. The man before her was nothing short of sexy. His unnatural silver hair was comb neatly and tied behind his neck, his striking amber eyes were one of a kind; she loved the way his perfectly ironed white collard shirt and the black and red accented tie brought out the professional sex appeal of her boss.

Her blue eyes traced the rippling muscles through his shirt, and she resisted the temptation to lick her lips.

"Kanon."

Sesshomaru watched as the stunned woman came out of her daze and watched him attentively.

"Your late. As usual. This last month has been very...trying on me. I've given you chance after chance to get yourself together. It's the end of the road, and I have too much work and in too much need of a good executive assistant. I'm letting you go."

Kanon sat there for a moment, and Sesshomaru wondered after a while if she had been listening to what he had been saying. Miroku frowned too; he reached over and waved his hand in front of her face. She snapped her neck in his direction; blonde hair spraying out around her face.

"You can pick up your last paycheck from my secretary. You can leave."

She looked at Miroku as if he had grown two heads. Her worried eyes settled back on Sesshomaru.

"Your really firing me? But...but-"

"Leave, Kanon."

She huffed; standing up in a fury, she grabbed her expensive bag and was out the door in a heated hurry. Miroku whistled, having watched her quick exit.

"That was a nice ass though."

"Leacher"

Locking his office door, Sesshomaru swung on his expensive suit jacket before proceeding down the wide hall. Checking his watch, he plucked the down arrow for the elevator. He stood there, hands in his pockets, until the elevator made a sound and the door opened.

Stepping in and pressing the down arrow, Sesshomaru made his self comfortable against the fall wall. Then before the doors could close a women stepped in and glanced at the list of the floors presented in buttons. Seeing the parking garage was selected, she relaxed, and gave him a friendly smile. The doors closed, and a phone started ringing.

Sesshomaru took the opportunity to observe his company while she was on the phone. Her skin was a creamy pale yet slightly colored complexion. Her dark brown hair fell well past her shoulders in thick lustrous curls, and her black form fitting dress was riding the line between professional and sexy.

The legs that extended past the end of her knee length dress looked smooth and alluring, and Sesshomaru inwardly smiled at the half inch black high heels and the red toes that protruded from them.

Her conversation, however, brought his gazing to a stop.

"Yeah, I'm leaving Takahashi Corporation now. I left my resume with the secretary of the chief of human resources...I know right? I hope so, I really need a good job...she said there were no positions open now, but just in case something should pop up...Yeah, with my luck I'll be waiting forever."

Sesshomaru briefly considered informing her of the open position as his executive assistant, but decided against it. He'd let Miroku handle that entire situation. The elevation beeped, and he watched disappointingly as she walked out and into the garage. There was no denying her sex appeal.

The click of her heels slowly faded as he approached his car. The shiny sleek BMW M6 sat, awaiting. The multimillionaire slide into the passenger seat and reveled at the sound of the quiet hum it made when turning on.

The vibrating of his cell phone made him reach into his pocket while he backed out effortless of his spot and started towards the gate.

"Yes."

"_Is that all you can answer a call with? 'Yes' How about, yo bro, whats happening, or something?"_

"What is it Miroku?"

"_-Sign- Its a Friday night, I'm bored, and for once without a chick."_

"hn, sounds extremely perso-"

A Mercedes-Benz whipped around the corner, but slowed immediately when the driver saw him. Looking closer, Sesshomaru could see it was the woman from the elevator. She smiled sheepishly, and he felt this sudden pooling feeling in his stomach.

"-Damn, she's beautiful."

"_Huh? Who's beautiful Sess?"_

"Huh?"

The woman held up her hand and drove up to the ticket machine before driving out to the road and turning onto the street, disappearing from his sight.

"_You said 'Damn, she's beautiful'"_

"No, I didn't."

"_Okay...Lets go out, to that new club. I heard it's nice."_

Sesshomaru put his ticket into the machine and speed towards the street, looking both ways. She was gone.

"Alright, I'm going home first, though."

"_Yeah, I'll pick you up around ten...Click"_

Throwing his phone into the passenger seat, Sesshomaru started the miles to his penthouse. The twenty minuets went by quickly, with him thinking of the pretty woman who he shared the elevator with. He wondered if he should of got her number.

That that thought, another face came up, and his stomach tightened. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. She had betrayed his trust, and showed him she hadn't loved him, not as nearly as much as he had loved her.

Dismissing her face from his mind, Sesshomaru slammed his door and entered the building. The man at the desk nodded before he stepped into an awaiting elevator. Once he reached the top floor he reached into his pocket and produced a ring of keys.

He unlocked the door, and in moments was throwing his jacket on the white couch and kicking off his black loafers. He enjoyed the feeling of the plush carpet beneath his feet while he made his way to the glassed wall.

The night life was awakening. He watched the dots of people as they walked down the street and got in and out of cabs. Her face came back to mind. Turning on his heels he walked to the mater bedroom and into the spacious bathroom, stopping to turn on the shower. The water shot down and steam instantly started filling the bathroom and fogging the mirror.

He was reminded by the memory of his ex that it had been far too long since he had been with a woman.

Way too long.

He made quick work of his clothes before stepping under the burning flow of water, enjoying the sensation and careful not to wet his hair. It would take too long to dry it. Ten minutes later he was back in his room, body still glistening with water, towel hanging dangerously loose around his hips.

It was 9:30.

He stepped into his walk in closet and in a non caring fashion plucked a shirt and jeans from the racks. He looked good in anything, naturally, anyway. The v neck blue shirt gave an all too kind peek at his toned chest, but he didn't bother changing.

He heard the door open in the other room, and released his hair from the tie just as his friend came walking in. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a purple t-shirt loose enough to stick to his chest in the right areas.

"Oh, ready on time for once? Nice."

Sesshomaru repressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"What club are we going to?"

"It's called Dark Desire. Sounds sexy, right?"

"Of course you would choose something like that."

Miroku shrugged, that sly grin on his face again that told Sesshomaru he was defiantly set on getting some tonight. The drive to the club was surprisingly short; a total of 30 minutes from the penthouse with Miroku's slow driving.

He was right, the club was nice.

It took but five minutes to enter the club ahead of the long awaiting line and immerse their selves into the rowdy crowd. Bodies were everywhere, dancing dirty on the floor, sitting around the bar, and in the various booths around the place. He followed Miroku through the maze of people until the found an empty booth upstairs.

A thick man wearing a black shirt that said 'Attendant' walked up to them with a frown.

"Any drinks tonight, sirs?"

Miroku clapped his hands, grinning.

"I'll take a blackout club, and he'll have a cosmopolitan"

Sesshomaru didn't protest; he had been out with Miroku plenty enough times to know he knew what he drank. He pondered if he wanted to get drunk tonight. A feeling of sadness hit him, not doubt his self conscious was thinking about Kagura.

He spent too much thought on that lying whore. His drink was placed on the table and he took no time in throwing it back. Miroku, mouth opened in a O, slapped his back.

"Damn, Sess, go easy. Guess I'm the designated driver tonight. Not that I mind. Come on, beauty awaits us."

He nodded, grabbing another drink before they both gravitated back to the first floor. He felt his self letting loose, and by the fifth drink he completely didn't care.

Some girl was grinding on him, asking for his name.

_What time was it? _

He stared at her, before turning around and trying his best to escape the group of hot bodies collected on the dance floor. He had lost sight of Miroku hours ago. Tired and drunk, he glanced at his wrist watch.

2:30 A.M.

_Where had time gone?_

He stumbled, sliding onto a couch to keep from falling. He tried thinking, but nothing seemed to make sense to him. Suddenly, a warm hand on his shoulder made him jerk alert and look at whoever was bothering him. His blurred vision vaguely recognized the girl from the elevator. She tilted her face, a look of worry plastered there.

He realized her dress had morphed into something short and her heels became an inch longer; the red lipstick making her lips seem as though they were begging for him to kiss them.

And he would of, if she hadn't slapped his face. For a moment, he was stunned. Glaring at her, she only smiled.

"Oh, you are awake. I remember you from the elevator. Are you okay?"

Her light, concerned voice ran through his head, and he nodded dumbly. She didn't look too convinced, and slid on the the couch across from him.

"You looked like you were looking for someone?"

Again, a dumb nod. Sesshomaru suddenly felt angry. Here she was again, and instead of impressing her he was fucked up and incoherent. Clearing his throat, he forced his gaze up from her peeking bust.

"My friend, we came toge...ther."

"Oh. You can't find him?"

She shuffled through a bag he assumed was her purse, and handed him a bottle of water. Accepting it, he twisted of the cap and downed the bottle.

"No."

She stared at him for a moment, before asking him to wait there and walking off. He didn't know how long she was gone, but he was prodded out of sleep but her warm hand again. He liked her hand. It took a few minutes for him to realize he was being led through the club.

The cool night air was refreshing, and he signed.

"What's your name?"

"Huh?"

"What's your name?"

He noticed the dimple she had when she smiled, and again the red lipstick beckoned to him.

"Sesshomaru."

"I'm going to take you home, Sesshomaru, okay?"

He nodded, enlisting her help to sit properly in her Mercedes and connect the seat belt. He didn't remember much else, he must of told her the address to his flat because they arrived sometime later. Then there was a gap, and he was handing her the keys. Another gap, she handed him another bottle of water and some aspirin.

"What's your name?"

"Rin."

"Your very pretty, Rin."

She smiled again; her arm wrapped around his arm to steady him. She lead him to his room and helped him sit down on the edge of his huge bed.

"Your place is beautiful, especially that view."

He kicked off his shoes, and was surprised when she helped him take of his shirt. Her fingers wrapped around his hair, and he closed his eyes in pleasure when she used her hands to brush his hair up and into a sloppy ponytail.

Before she could back away, he leaned forward and caught her lips, those red lips. They were soft, and warm. He let his hands grasp her waist. For a moment, she let him indulge, but then softly removed his hands and broke the kiss.

"Good Night, Sesshomaru."

She walked to the door, smiled at him, and turned off the light. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and fell on the pillow; his lips curving to a smile.

**Welp, thats it. Review, tell me what you think =] -AF **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! OMG! I did not expect this story to blow up so nicely! Here I am, hoping for at least 10 reviews, and I got almost double! Welp, that rocks. Thanks to all that reviewed =] Anyways, here's chapter two. Please enjoy-AF**

**Chapter two-**

Sesshomaru wondered if there was a worst feeling than a hangover. He decided that there was, and it was called a _really really_ bad hangover. Keeping his eyes closed against the light, he stretched out his arm and patted the night stand down.

A few things fell to the floor with a soft 'boom' but he paid it no mind. Finally, his hand found and gripped a small bottle. Sitting up in his bed, Sesshomaru blindly removed the cap and shook two pills in his hand.

He swallowed them without the aid of water and slammed the bottle back on the stand. He sighed then, resting his elbows on his raised knees while rubbing his fingers in a circular motion on his forehead.

_Verrrrrr...Verrrrr... _

His eyes opened, and he froze. The room was eerily silent, but he could of swore he had just heard something. When the noise didn't happen again, Sesshomaru focused back on his migraine.

"What the hell did I do last night."

That was a very good question. He remembered as far as leaving the booth to go downstairs and dance, but after that was a blurry, foggy mess.

_Verrrrrrrrrrrr...verrrrrrrrrrr..._

Now he knew he wasn't going crazy. Lifting up the sheets, he realized that the noise was his phone vibrating. A groan escaped his mouth. Not only had he slept until three in the afternoon, but he had at least a dozen missed calls and even more texts.

Miroku had called him a number of times, and even his step mother Izayoi had left a few messages.

(Miroku) '_What the fuck Sess, can you call someone back! No one knows where the hell you are! Oh damn, I knew you getting completely stupid last night was a bad idea. Some people said you left the club with a girl? Come one man, CALL ME BAC- message deleted.'_

He thought for a moment, and decided to wait until his pounding headache dissipated to call Miroku. The man would no doubt kill his ear drubs at this point in time, might as well receive it with a clear head.

Sesshomaru jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping on a carelessly placed shoe, before making his way to the bathroom. He glanced at the mirror before looking back at his true destination, the shower.

"Whaa?"

He paused, backed up a few steps, and looked at his reflection again.

His hair was pulled up in a messy bun that sat on the top of his head. Horrified, his eyes drifted down his face, where there was a very obvious red lipstick stain on the corner of his mouth. His mind drifted back to what Miroku had said, _'Some people said you left the club with a girl?_'. He slipped in an even worse mood; he could of done anything with this mystery girl. _Anything_.

'Great'.

He took a long, overly hot shower before dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

His hair, which he had removed from the girly up do, was left out to air dry. He grabbed his phone then, and dialed his estranged friend while biting into an apple. This was not his day. The clock in the spacious kitchen read 4:30 p.m.

Ringgggggg, Ringgggg- "_HELLO? SESS? WHERE HAVE YO-_"

Sesshomaru ended the call. He took another bit of the red apple that strangely reminded him of red lips, and redialed the number.

Ringggggg, Ringg- "_WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THIN-_" -click-

Sesshomaru was beginning to enjoy this, and he silently wished his friend was dimwitted enough to not get the point of his excessive 'banging of the phone'. The third time he called, a calm Miroku answered the phone. Perfect.

"_Okay, I get it man. Just, please explain to me what happened?_"

"I don't know."

The other end of the phone was deadly quiet, and the man thought he had been hung up on for a minute.

"_Please explain to me how you don't know."_

Sesshomaru left his penthouse and pushed the elevator down button three times.

"I can't remember anything. I just woke up an hour ago, and I don't even know how I got into my bed. Then, what makes it worst is that there was lipstick on my face. Do you know what that means?"

"_Ummm, you had great sex and you can't even remember it?"_

The elevator door opened, and he entered it, pressing the bottom floor button.

"It means anything could of happened last night, and I wouldn't know."

"_Well look man, I gotta run. But relax, nothing probably happened. Give your mom a call alright? She was pretty worried." -click-_

A quick conversation with his step-mom and a few floors later, Sesshomaru was leaving the elevator. He jogged to the front desk attendant. She smiled warmly at him.

"Good afternoon Mr. Takahashi. Feeling better this morning?"

Sesshomaru frowned at her question while grabbing the mail she was handing towards him.

"You saw me last night?" She nodded gingerly, twirling a blond strand around a single finger.

"Yeah, you didn't look to well." She leaned in close, covering one side of her mouth with a cupped hand, "Good Friday night huh? She was kinda cute."

"Who?" The attendant looked at him strangely, and then mouthed a O, seemingly understanding the situation. She nodded understandingly.

"This woman was, uh, helping you up to your flat. She was uh, thin, long brown curly hair, fair skin... Oh!"

Sesshomaru watched the women, confused at what she was trying to tell him.

"There she is, right there." Her long manicured finger pointed behind him, and he whirled around. The woman that was making her way over to him made his body freeze and his mind tell him this couldn't possibly be his luck.

The same girl he had seen in the elevator reached where he was standing with a small smile on her face. The attendant, seeing she was no longer needed, walked to the other side of the counted to help someone else. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

"Hi, Sesshomaru. How are you feeling today?"

Her hazel eyes were warm and welcoming. He took in her short denim shorts and the completely white shirt that had slits in the arms where her lightly tanned flesh showed. He couldn't help but notice how nicely it fit around her large bust.

The black opened toed high heels almost put her on his level, but not quiet. He guessed her to be around 5'4. An average height, but those creamy smooth looking legs looked as if they went on forever.

"Um, yes, much better."

She nodded, a smile still curving her lips. She reached into the oversized purse she had hanging on her shoulder and produced what looked like a black wallet. In fact, he had one that looked _exactly_ like that one.

"Here, you left this in my car last night. Sorry I didn't come until now, I hadn't seen it sitting there until I needed something from the glove compartment box. Hope you didn't lose too many braincells tryna figure out where you put it."

She giggled, and it made Sesshomaru smile at her mindless babbling. He muttered a thank you while reaching for the item, not sure if he purposely brushed his fingers against hers or if it was a mere mistake.

She fell silent, and Sesshomaru decided this time he would make a move on the girl. No one got this many chances to just introduce their selves.

"So, uh..."

"Rin."

"Rin, would you like to join me for a snack? There's a place down the street that I like to go to. They have the best pumpkin ginger cheesecake."

She smiled, giggling.

"I don't know, I've got a lot of things to do..."

Sesshomaru turned the mail in his hands over and over, deciding that the girl standing in front of him was truly gorgeous. How old could she be, 23, 24?

"It will be quick, besides I haven't really met you on the best of terms. I'd like to properly thank my escort".

Her dimple added such a cute vibe to her that clashed with the sexy one coming from her heels. It was a perfect combination. She sighed, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tube of lip gloss. He watched her while she twisted the cap off and spread the shine over her bottom lip before rubbing them together.

"Okay, real quick though."

It took a total of six minutes to walk down the street with Rin and reach the little dessert shop he had described. He held the door open for her, watching as she thanked him before walking in. He followed suit, and let her pick a table near the window.

Her face disappeared behind the menu. A waiter came over then, nodding towards Sesshomaru who was raising the freshly poured water glass to his lips. He grinned.

"Ah, Sesshomaru. The usual I assume, and what for your beautiful girlfriend?"

Sesshomaru choked on the water going down his throat. Rin 'awwed' him; her hand gently patted his back until his coughing ceased. Sesshomaru glared up at the waiter. Said man held his hands up, and Rin laughed.

"Oh, we''re not dating. We just met."

The man winked at her.

"Not yet, anyway. What can I get cha sweetness?"

She blushed, handing him the menu.

"I'll try a slice of the chocolate peanut butter cake. Whip cream please."

Once he was gone, Sesshomaru gave Rin an apologizing look.

"Sorry, he's...old. But Rin."

She tilted her head; a look on her face that told her she was listening.

"What exactly happened last night? I mean, did we..."

She seemed to stare at him, a misty expression on her face. Then without warning she threw her head back and laughed loudly. The few other customers in the store looked over at the table in which they occupied.

When she finally calmed down, she was grinning hard; her single dimple grew deeper. Her curly locks were a bit ruffed up. She pointed at him, still giggling.

"You think we (laughs) did it? Oh sheesh, that's hilarious."

She blew out, letting the giggles escape her while her face turned very serious. Sesshomaru found her ability to switch expressions like that a bit on the odd side...

"But, we did not take part in any inappropriate actions last night."

She pressed a finger to her cheek, looking up at the ceiling.

"Unless you consider you calling me pretty and kissing me in your drunken stupor inappropriate. Then _you_ did."

A plate was placed in front of her and Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, stunned by her last statement, watched as she broke of a piece of the cake with her fork and slide the morsel into her awaiting mouth. She eyed him as she chewed and swallowed.

"You don't remember anything at all, do you?"

He shook his head, noticing that her brown eyes fell on his loose silver strands. A set of delicate fingers reached out and touched it tenderly, as if it was a precious relic.

"This is natural?"

"Yes."

"And you eyes?" 

A nod.

"Your pretty cute yourself then, Sesshomaru."

He gave the woman a look that could be classified as shocked and amusement, and a smile crept over his lips when she laughed again. The ringlets of curls bounced with her heaving chest. Picking up his fork, Sesshomaru broke off a piece of his forgotten cheesecake and slipped it into his mouth.

For the next twenty minutes, the two talked about trivial matters. Sesshomaru learned that Rin was 23 years old and an aspiring writer. Even though she had an apparently huge love for the word of books, she also enjoyed working in a corporate setting. He almost wanted to ask her for what position was she applying for at Takahashi Corp, but decided against it.

Truly, Rin was an acquaintance that he didn't know much about, credential wise. He wouldn't want to offer the job to what turned out to be another Kanon. Her soft voice brought him out of his musings. There were walking towards the door having paid their bill.

Rin was smiling at him. Waving her hand in front of his face.

"I said I had a nice time, Sesshomaru. Thank you for showing me this place. Now I wont think of you as that one drunk I took home some night."

The sun was making its way lower in the sky. Checking his watch, Sesshomaru noted that it was 5:05. A ring sounded then, and he gripped his phone through the fabric of his sweat pants. His saffron eyes moved to his companion.

She brought a phone to her ear; a small frown on her face.

"Yes?...Oh, man. I'm sorry I got caught up...Be there as soon as possible." -Click-

Her gaze was apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave. It was nice meeting you though."

Her smile was warm and the gentle hug she gave him surprised the man. It seemed so...natural to touch her. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she walked back up the street to retrieve her abandoned car. Sesshomaru couldn't help but to admire her backside as her hips swayed right to left and her long model like legs carried her further away.

In his mind he realized that they had not exchanged numbers, and this was most likely the end of his luck. For a moment he considered running after her, but that thought was immediately dismissed. He would not run up the block like some crazed obsess maniac for a lady's number. Wasn't happening.

Another ring erupted, but this time Sesshomaru had his own phone out and to his ear.

"Yes?"

"_Sesshomaru, I need you to come to my office as soon as you can. I have some business to clarify with you."_

His father's demanding yet kind voice always seem to knock the young man out of any dream he was swimming in and back into reality. He took one last glance at the spot Rin's car had been and started the way back to his flat.

"I'll be there soon."

_**V**_

Tashio was shuffling through papers when Sesshomaru opened the dark door to his office. His father spared him a quick look before returning his attention back to his work. With one hand he gestured for his son to sit.

An odd silence filled the room; Sesshomaru didn't ever like to wait for anything. He tapped his fingers in an annoying fashion while clearing his throat one good time. Tashio finally set the papers down, and he crossed his fingers which he rested on the smooth mahogany desk.

His face was nothing short of serious. Sesshomaru knew that when this demeanor replaced the usual playful and grinning Tashio, something important needed to be said. All joking aside. He watched as the older man loosened his tie.

"Sesshomaru, as you know I am getting old."

He paused, staring hard at his son. When he didn't respond, he continued.

"There is going to be a time where I can no longer run this corporation any longer. Do you understand that?"

Sesshomaru nodded, and suppressed a smile from appearing on his face. His father must be telling him of his future as CEO. For a moment he fantasized about that type of control and power, not to mention the huge money increase. Not like he didn't make enough already...

"And the way it's looking, you won't be running this company, ever."

Sesshomaru's fantasy crashed and he accidentally let his shock and confusion register on his face. He defiantly hadn't seen that coming.

"And why is that father?"

Tashio simple shook his head, and crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest. The older man looked far from retiring, now that Sesshomaru really looked at him. Time had not aged him as bad as it did others.

"Because Sesshomaru, you have no wife. You can not run a successful company such as this without having a certain set of morals and values that you can only achieve through marriage and children! Further more, I will not be adding your name to the CEO successor list until you prove to me that you are capable of these things. Son..." 

Tashio's face took on a more concerned look now; he stood and came around the desk to address his visibly upset son. If anger counted as being upset. His heavy hand patted the younger man's back.

"I know your last Fiance really...set you back. But it's been a year. Now I'm not saying that you should be over it or anything. I'm just saying you have to move forward with your life."

His grip tightened, and Sesshomaru saw the fire return to his father's eyes.

"Because if you want to run my company, your going to follow my rules."

He smiled suddenly, letting his hand fall and returning to his seat behind the desk. Sesshomaru, not sure of what to say, nodded, and stood slowly. He had the start of a very bad headache. Tashio nodded, and then was shuffling through his paperwork again as if nothing had transpired.

"Oh, and I would start looking soon son. I'll be ready to finalize the list relatively soon."

He only chuckled when the door slammed shut a moment later.

_**V**_

Rin sighed; her thoughts were still on the guy she had formally just met early that day. Currently, she was lying on her bed with a bowl of mixed fruit and the television turned to A & E. She reached under her to pull her t shirt down before getting comfortable under her comforter.

He had been okay the night she had driven him home, but the cleaned up sober Sesshomaru was much more attractive. Closing her eyes, she recalled the moment they shared at the dessert shop. She learned he was into business, as she was, and he made it clear that he wasn't the go out and get stupid drunk type. She had nodded, believing him because she didn't take him to be a lair.

Now, filled with fruit and tired of watching _Criminal Minds_, she couldn't keep her thoughts off of the interesting man. Not not mention the extreme level of sexy that radiated off of him, even while he dressed down in sweats. Rin groaned, wondering for the four hundredth time that day why she hadn't gotten his number.

Unable to accept the fact that she had rushed away and forgotten to ask for it, she settled with the excuse that maybe he didn't find her as interesting as she did him. Her mind battled her though, bringing up the fact that she knew exactly where he lived.

'No no, that would be stalking.'

Her subconscious was right of course. That was absolutely out of the question. But...

Rin frowned, and sat up. She placed the empty bowl on her nightstand and quickly pulled on some jeans. Her fingers were run through her bouncy locks, and she momentarily considered going straight again for a change of style.

Her apartment was small but big enough for her to live comfortably and gratefully. It took no time at all to cross the small living room and open and shut the front door. With a twist of the key and the satisfying clonk of the door lock, she made her way down the stairs of the apartment complex and to her baby on wheels.

The Mercedes roared to life, and Rin petted the steering wheel for a moment. She loved her car. Might of took all four years of saving money during college to get it, but it was well worth the price tag. The route to Sesshomaru's flat was already attached to her brain; a surprising feat considering the fact that she was horrible at memorizing things that fast.

15 minutes later she was slowing and stopping for a stop sign. She turned on to the street and smiled faintly when she glanced the dessert shop. In her mind, she tried to work out another excuse to be there. Nothing sounded good or even seemed convincing.

"I think I left my purse in you loft? No...I never got a chance to taste that cheesecake you were telling me about? Naa...I want to know what conditioner you use, because your hair is so soft!...oh great. Your such a loser Rin."

In the end, Rin just decided to tell the truth. She found him attractive, and would like to know if he was interested in going out together again soon.

She reached his building in no time, but the sight of a couple getting out of a car made Rin feel embarrassed and slightly stupid. Sesshomaru, dressed up in a crisp black collard shirt and creased black slakes, was helping a woman out of what she assumed was his car.

What had her speeding off down the street before he had a chance to see her car was the act of the woman leaning towards Sesshomaru, a big smile on her face before she pressed her face against his. She wanted to bang her head against the steering wheel, but valuing her life, she decided against it.

"That's it, no more men. I just have to focus on getting a job at Takahashi Corp and that's it."

The drive home was deary. Why'd it always happen to her? Why couldn't she find a decent guy who wasn't taken? Rin shook her head, reaching for her phone when she heard it ringing.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, is this Ms. Kato?"_

"Yes, who is this?"

"_This is the DA's office. I'm calling to inform you that Taro Ito has escaped from prison. I'm just contacting you to warn you to be safe, seeing that he did try to..."_

The phone dropped from her ear, and the car swerved off the road.

**Hmmm, who is this person the DA's warning her about? Who was the chick kissing Sesshomaru? What's up with Rin's sexy car? WILL RIN EVER FIND THE GUY OF HER DREAMS? Only reviews can unlock these answers. Lol, I'm starving so I'll go eat and I hoped you enjoyed the second chappy!-AF**


	3. Chapter 3

**34 reviews, only 2 chapters? I must be doing something right with this fic... I LOVE happy readers =] SO, please, please, enjoy. BTW, I'm drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows right now, & I swear it feels like its making love to my mouth (^^) -AF**

**Chapter 3-**

"Next...I said NEXT!"

"Calm down Inuyasha, the next interview isn't till an hour from now."

Miroku shook his head at the other man before leaning back in his comfy chair. A folder was open on his lap.

"It says here that, ehh, Kato, Rin is our next glimmer of hope. Her credentials are quite impressive I must say."

"Lemme see that."

The man with neatly combed silver hair and amber eyes grabbed the folder from his friend and fellow co-worker. His eyes roamed over the paper quickly, and a small grin formed on his lips.

"Hey, this chick ain't half bad. Hopefully she's as good in person as she looks on paper."

Inuyasha sat the file down, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He leaned forward in his chair to address Miroku, who frowned but moved forward also.

"Did you ask Sesshomaru how his blind date went last week?" 

Miroku nodded his head grimly, remembering the angered phone call he received that night.

"He wasn't too charmed by the girl. Apparently she had the, and I quote, "Audacity to try and make her nasty, chapped, and unflattering lips touch his", Sess is a drama queen in disguise."

The sound of a door slamming made both of the whispering men jump to attention with guilty looks plastered on their faces. Sesshomaru glared at them, having overhead Miroku's last remark.

"Who's a drama queen now, Miroku?"

The man smiled, and scratched his neck sheepishly. He exchanged glances with Inuyasha, and then let his eyes follow Sesshomaru's moving form. Said man walked to the mini cooler on the other side of the room, grabbed a bottle of water, and downed it in mere seconds.

"Sess, no offense, but it seems like you've been in a bad mood since last Saturday. I mean, was your date that bad?"

Sesshomaru frowned, and tossed the empty bottle in the waste basket. Miroku noticed a far away look in his eyes. The man looked tired.

"It wasn't the date, as disturbing as it was."

Inuyasha's brow shot up, and he studied his brother with a critical look.

"Then, what's up?"

Everything was silent for a moment. The man in question grabbed a seat and sat down; a frown took over his pale features. Finally, he looked up and made eye contact with his two concerned friends.

"You guys already know, my father's harassing me to get married and have kids. I'm just annoyed is all "

The lied rolled easily off his tongue, but inside Sesshomaru knew the true reason for his recent down behavior. Rin's smiling face flashed in his mind again. Ever since the time they had spent in the bake shop he had been unsuccessful in trying to forget about the woman he met.

_'She's so beautiful'_

Miroku was grinning, and slapped his friend on the back. Inuyasha seemed to think something was funny too. His younger brother chuckled and settled on flipping through a file. Annoyed at being on the outside of a joke, Sesshomaru glared at them.

"What?"

Miroku shook his head, and straightened his tie while glancing at his watch.

"I don't think that's the reason, man."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement; a wide smile on his face as he and Miroku exchanged glances. At this point, Sesshomaru was 100% sure he was missing something here. His eyes narrowed as he hammered his company with a death stare. Inuyasha flicked his hair behind his shoulder.

"Sess, It's been, what, almost a year since Kagura left you? When's the last time you _got_ any?"

Personally, Sesshomaru felt quite offended that his brother and friend would go as far as to think that he, Sesshomaru, holder of great wealth and devilish looks, would be lacking in the women department.

But what had him suddenly thrown in a pissed mood was the mention of Kagura. His ex-fiance who had tricked him into thinking she had loved him. Unfortunately, he had loved her, and was until recently still suffering the damages.

He knew he had lost all feelings he at one point harbored for Kagura, but the situation was still a wound in his heart. So any mention of it sent him reeling into a cold state of emotion, much like the persona he slipped into when she first left him.

"Ice King" they called him those few months where the pain was too much to bear. He had blocked everyone out, and suffered by his self.

Sesshomaru stood up then, and Inuyasha seemed to recognize what he had just done. His face twisted into sympathy and shame.

"Aw, my bad Sess. I didn't know it still, uh, effected you anymore."

He didn't answer him, but retrieved his jacket and made a move for the door. Miroku stood up then, blocking his path to the exit.

"Wait, I thought you were staying for the last few interviews? Maybe assist in the selection?" Sesshomaru knew his friend was trying to ease the tension that suddenly had the room gasping for breath. Mentally, he recalled it was Miroku who had finally slapped some sense into him about his actions.

He shook his head; a few loose strands of silver hair drifted to his face.

"I don't care, just pick one. Call me later."

He moved pass Miroku and slammed the door behind him. The hall was quiet and lacking activity, it was late in the day so it wasn't unusual. He approached the elevator and pressed the down button more times than necessary.

His muscles were tense; he just wanted to go home and have a drink or two, or three...

He glanced to his right, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to check his mailbox for the last two days.

Annoyed at the simple thought of having to walk all the way down the hall just to retrieve most likely pointless mail, Sesshomaru abandoned his post in front of the elevated to attend to the task.

_'And this is why I need a competent assistant'._

He was already well down the hall when the elevator dinged, but it was of no interest to him now.

_**V**_

_Ding _

The elevator doors opened, and a heel poked out of the metal box first. Rin had a paper in her mouth as she hurried down the hall of the elite building; her hands clumsily fumbled with her folder and her business purse.

She neatly tucked the papers from her mouth into the folder before smoothing her gray dress with her hands. Her brown eyes scanned the numbered doors until she found the one she was looking for.

She glanced back down at the number she scribbled on her manilla folder, confirming she had the right room. Her hands brushed a few stray curls from her face before knocking firmly on the wood.

A moment when by, and Rin, nervous, re-compared the number she wrote down and the number on the plate. She almost dropped all of her things in shock when the door was swung open, and she was greeted by a less than friendly face.

At first, Rin could of swore she was looking right at Sesshomaru. A few blinks later, she discovered that it wasn't. This man's eyes were all together a different shade of amber, and his face was much more youthful. The man seemed to realize he was giving her a dirty look, because he straightened up and smiled at her with an apologetic look.

"My bad, I'm Inuyasha. Please, come in. You must be Ms. Kato?"

Rin nodded, forced a smile, and walked into the room. Another man was standing in front of a chair; he greeted her with much more enthusiasm.

"Why hello! You must be Ms. Kato, pleased to meet you!"

His hand shake was strong and professional, but something told Rin that he wasn't as by the book as he seemed.

And she was right.

The moment she saw his eyes traveling down her form fitting v-neck dress, Rin cleared her throat and smile when his eyes snapped back to hers.

"Nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr.?"

"Just call me Miroku."

"And you can refer to me as Rin."

"Okay, well please take a seat Rin."

The woman complied, sitting so she was the final point to a triangle based seating arrangement. The man named Inuyasha started rustling through a folder. He extracted a few papers, and shifted through them while rubbing his chin.

Finally, he locked eyes with her. She wondered fleetingly if he knew Sesshomaru. They could practicably be brothers.

"So, Rin, your vitae looks exception. It says here that you received your Bachelors in Business Operations Support and Assistant services, and that you graduated third in your class."

Rin nodded, smiling.

"Yes, I worked extremely hard for my degree and I finished with excellent grades. Now I'm just ready to land that dream job"

Inuyasha nodded, and jotted down some note. Inside, Rin panicked.

_'I hardly said anything yet! What could he be writing down?'_

"So tell me Rin,-" Miroku was gazing at her with interest. Rin had to swallow the 'back off dude' look she so desperately wanted to give.

"Why should we hired you to be an executive assistant? Do you realize how big of a job this is?"

The woman in question smiled, though inside she was burning up in annoyance. Of course she knew this was a huge opportunity!

"Well, Miroku, you should hire me because I'd be excellent for this job. I have the management skills, the people skills, I know the in's and out's of business management, and I have a degree to back it up. Plus, I'm not above running out to get coffee or fixing the jam in the copier."

She received a chuckle for her joke, and smiled brightly.

_'In the bag Rin!'_

The two men leaned back, and nodded approvingly. Inuyasha was the first to speak up again.

"How well can you handle pressure? Deadlines?"

"I'm nothing short of a perfectionist. Believe me when I say I'll have something done, because it will be done _with_ time to spare."

The grin on Miroku's face had her heart beating irrationally. On the outside she was calm and collected, but inside she was a nervous wreck. Her palms were hot and her scout was beginning to itch like crazy. To take her mind of the stress of needing this job, she thought about a short hair style.

By the time she decided that she would not cut her crusading locks, the two men looked as if they had reached a decision also.

They stood, and Rin automatically copied.

"In all seriousness, there's no point in even looking on. Or back, for that matter. So Rin, when can you start?"

Rin kept a calm face on, only smiling slightly to show some acknowledgment. She shook their hands again.

"Immediately, if that's fine with you."

Miroku nodded.

"Come in tomorrow. It's a Friday, I know, but you can at least meet your boss and decorate your desk. Be here 8 A.M. Sharp. Lateness is not tolerated. Floor 28, room 320. "

Rin nodded, and thanked Inuyasha when he opened the door for her. Once she was in the empty hall, she threw her hands in the air and mouthed 'YEAH!'. She then started to do a little dance.

After a few moments of craziness, she cleared her throat, straightened her dress, and proceeded to the elevator.

It took a lot longer than she anticipated for her to get home to her apartment. She sighed as she unlocked the door and threw herself on the couch. She missed her baby. The poor car had suddenly lost control and nearly landed her in a hole last week. After having it towed and taken to a shop, she was told that under the hood, it looked as if someone tried to sabotage her car. Rin, however, was more concerned about how on earth she was going to pay for both the towing, and the repair damages on her ride.

But what totally topped the cake on her list of things to be flat out freaking out about, was learning that her ex- boyfriend had escaped from prison. Taro was a thing of the past that she never wanted to become her present again.

She bite her lip, getting up to double check the locks on the door and windows. Her paranoia was running rampant again. Her brain zoomed back to last year's events, events that had her taking anxiety and depression meds for months.

On whim, Rin lifted up her shirt, and examined the long scar that ran from her waist to below her right breast; her finger lightly traced the memory riddled mark. She closed her eyes.

**~Flashback~**

_Rin waved her friends bye as they drove off. Humming a tone, she walked up her first ever apartment and unlocked the door, letting herself in. _

"_Miya? You here?"_

_She set her keys down on the kitchen counter, and scratched her head when she received no reply. Usually her roommate was home from work by now. She checked her clocked, it read six thirty. The days were short and cold, winter having settled in, so it was usually pitch black out by five. _

_She was just about to call her friend when she heard a noise. Her head turned, and brown eyes peered down the dark hall that lead to the bathroom and bedrooms. She set down the house phone, and took a slow step in that direction._

_Everything seemed dead quiet. Her fingers slid along the wall as she inched forward, straining her eyes against the dark. The bathroom door was slightly ajar. Rin bit he lip, suddenly feeling tense, as if someone else was there._

"_Miya?"_

_she pushed the bathroom door open and quickly flicked on the lights. She jumped 30 feet into the air when a furry missile shot by her and down the hall. The initial shock wore off, and Rin cursed._

"_Damn it, you stupid cat!"_

_Feeling mad and a bit stupid, Rin didn't hear the closet door behind her creak open. In a matter of seconds she was thrown to the floor. Rin screamed, and tried to crawl out from under her attacker in vain. _

_She was suddenly flipped over on her back, and Rin gasped at the black mask that protected their identity. Her heart was beating fast, and she felt herself on the verge of tears. The familiar sound of giggling reached her panicked mind then._

_Her brain analyzed and computed, and her looked of terror quickly transformed into one of annoyance. Her hand reached up and snatched off the ski mack. Miya was laughing hard now; she rolled off of her and was clutching her sides in pain. _

"_Oh haha, soooo funny Miya. Your a jerk, you know that?"_

_Miya nodded vigorously, and was now trying to stifle her laughter. _

"_I'm sorry Rin, but your face was so priceless! Besides, that's what you get for locking me out last week!"_

_Rin grinned, and followed her friend to the kitchen. _

"_Okay, I guess I deserved that. You going somewhere?"_

_Miya nodded, and grabbed her own keys from her hook. She dug through the cabinet until she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Rin shook her head disapprovingly._

"_Cancer on a stick."_

" _Fuck off, mother."_

_Rin laughed, and opened the door for her. She feigned a look of an angry mom._

"_If your going to do that mess, do it out of my house! I pay the bills! Come back when you have some respect you heathen!"_

_Miya was laughing now; she stuck the cigarette in her lips and lit it. When she pulled it out of her mouth, she winked at Rin._

"_Don't wait up for me, okay?"_

_Rin nodded, and locked the door behind her roommate. The night was spent watching corny romance movies and eating a not so nutritious dinner of popcorn and a pop-tart. It was around 1:00 A.M. when she sleepily cut the television off._

_A yawn crept from her mouth, and her hands extended in the air as she stretched like a lazy cat. After washing out the popcorn bowl and placing it in the dish rack to dry, the sleepy young adult slowly made her way to her bedroom. _

_Her hand was touching the door knob to her room when she heard something shatter towards the living room area. Huffing and throwing down the blanket she had been dragging after her, Rin stormed towards the room and angrily flicked on the lights._

"_Stupid cat, I swear I'm gonna..."_

_She froze, and her words died in her throat. A tall man was standing in front of a broken window; he was wearing all black but no mask. Terror rose in Rin's body when she locked eyes with the icy blue gaze of the trespasser. _

_For the longest, no one said anything. They stood, looking at each other, and no one moved an inch. Rin glanced at the front door, deciding that while she might reach it first, the lock would stall her long enough for her attempt of escape to be useless. _

_With little options, her chances were meek. With a heart beating out of control, she turned and dashed back down the hall. Her vision was her reaching her bedroom, locking the door, and calling the police from her cell. _

_She all but slammed the door shut once she reached it, and when that click sounded from the door lock, she breathed out in relief. Still, her body was brittle with apprehension and fear. Taro's intentions at this point were unclear to her. _

_She had met him in college during her last year. Her memory reminded her of his many but fruitless attempts to date her. After being consistently asked over a long period of time, the younger Rin had blown up on him. _

_She had told him she would never date such a low class, distasteful, and annoying loser like him. His goofy smile had faltered, and it seemed like everyone in the lunch hall had stopped their conversations to see what was going on. _

_As realization dawned on them, one by one they all started laughing and pointing. _

"_Damnnn, he got played!" "Why would he even think he had a chance with someone like her?" _

"_Look at him, loser!" "Just give up already dude! Hahahaa."_

_Rin shook her head, trying to forget about how crushed and embarrassed he had looked, and reached for the phone. She could only assume his reasons for breaking into her shared apartment almost a year later were bad. After all, before he had ran from the hall, his last words were, 'Next time I see you bitch, I'll be the one laughing.'_

"_**911, what is your emergency?"**_

" _A man just broke into my house!"_

"_Ma'am calm down okay, what is your address?"_

"_Uh, 34 west Archers Street."_

"_Where is he now?"_

"_I'm in my room, the door's locked, so I don't know where he is."_

"_Okay, stay on the phone with me, their coming to get you okay?"_

"_Ok-"_

_The door suddenly opened then, half leaning on it's hinges and with a huge indentation were it was kicked._

_Rin's eye widened; she pressed her back to the wall behind her. In her state of surprise and panic, she had dropped the phone. It hit the floor and found it's way under the bed. Taro approached her then, a look of pure hatred on his face._

"_Please, Taro..."_

_He ignored her, and roughly grabbed her frame. With brute strength he threw her effortlessly onto the bed, and for a slit second Rin cursed her thin body. His body pressed her tightly in place; his face leaned in closer, and Rin cringed at his foul smelling breath._

"_Get off of me you sick piece of-"_

"_Shut up!"_

_The loud sound of flesh hitting flesh resonated through the room, and Rin felt tears wetting the sore cheek. He grinned nastily at her, and grabbed her chin. _

"_You embarrassed me in front of everyone! I told you bitch, I told you I was going to make you pay."_

_He laughed. Rin shook her head, the tears streaming freely now. _

"_I'm sorry, I'll give you anything, just don't hurt me!"_

_For the first time since he had pinned her, Rin realized that he was holding a very sharp and very intimidating knife in his right hand. He brought the tip down, and lightly pressed the side of the weapon against her cheek. _

"_Oh, I know. Your gonna give me exactly what I wanted from day one."_

_Confused, Rin sniffed. _

"_A date?"  
_

_He laughed again; the sound made her body tremble and her stomach turn. Then without warning, he lifted the knife and crushed his lips against his. At first, she was still. It hadn't hit her that he was kissing her until he forcefully trusted his tongue into her mouth._

_Disgusted and repulsed, Rin bite down hard on his uninvited muscle. Taro hissed, and pulled away from her all together. She scrambled further back on the bed, and watched as the man cursed and stomped around her room; his hand swung the knife around dangerously._

_Blood. She saw the sliver of blood that colored the shinning metal, and looked down. Her stomach had been slashed though her shirt from his violent recede. She gasped, and pressed her shirt tightly against the long abrasion. _

_His eyes were blue flames when they landed back on her. A snarl was firmly placed on his face. He stomped towards her then, his free hand messily unlatching his belt. Fully aware of what he planned to do now, Rin screamed, and tried to flee the bed with as mush energy as possible._

_The bed, however, seemed to work against her. The sheet had wrapped around her legs, and she landed on the floor with a clumsy thump. Taro reached her in seconds; he picked her up none too kindly and sandwiched her between him and the bed._

_Her cries were ignored when he yanked her oversized and bloody night shirt over her head. Long fingers curled around her neck then, and forced her upper body down on the bed. Fabric in her face, Rin could only moan in distress when her sleeping shorts were snatched down her legs. Her panties soon followed. _

_There was a long, sicking pause; the only noise in the room being her own crying and his heavy breaths. The sound of heavy pants falling was what sent her into a frenzy. She bucked and kicked at her attacker, but the energy was fleeing her body. _

_He out powered her by far, and thus was unaffected by her short lasting efforts. _

"_See, Rin, it wouldn't be like this is you had just talked to me. But no, you wanted to be little miss prissy. Now I'll teach you..."_

_Rin bit her lip, angry that she couldn't defend herself against this crazed sicko. _

"_So your going to rape me, you pig! Please, just let me go... I can help you, please."_

_Her pleadings, however, fell on deaf ears. She winced as his hardened penis brushed against her thigh. Only a miracle would save her now, and Rin squeezed her eyes shut in prayer._

_She didn't want this man to destroy her innocence, her purity. _

"_No!"_

_The distant sound of another door breaking open was heaven's melody playing in her ears. Taro was yanked from behind her, and she was suddenly upright and being pushed into a blanket. Someone was kind enough to pull up her panties and shorts, which being around her ankles were awkwardly effecting her walking._

_Her last glance of Taro saved a mental image of a bewildered yet anger face. What scared her the most, was the look of pure determination in his bright eyes. She would never forget a look like that for as long as she lived. _

**~End of flashback~**

**Okay, third chappy & you learned about Taro, crazed humiliated stalker man. Rin was not raped, cuz that would have been terrible! Yay police! Sooooo, you have met the antagonist, Mr. Ito, and he is back to stir up trouble in Rin's life once more. Oh, but wait, nice strong Sesshomaru may have something to say to that! Al least in later chappys maybe lol. Review pleaseee -AF**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait! BTW, I keep forgetting to clarify with you readers that Sess & Inu & the lot are in fact demons. Sess is 25 in human years, but add a zero & he's 250! whoaa lol. I kept assuming it was known, but reviewing my first chappy it made him seem more human. My bad! But anyway, read & enjoy.-AF**

**Chapter 4-**

_6:55_

_6:56_

_6:57_

_6:58_

_6:59..._

_Ringgggggg!_

Rin's head shot up from under the pillow, and her hand came down harder than necessary on the off button of her alarm. She groaned, and turned to lie on her back. Her sleepy brown eyes bore into the ceiling.

"Okay Rin, give me three good reasons to get up."

She sluggishly lifted up an arm, and held a balled up fist in front of her face.

"One, because you'll starve if you don't get up. Two, because your body's muscle will start to break down from lying down so long, then three, hmmmmm, because today is Friday?"

Her body rolled, and she dropped down onto the carpet. Then, her eyes fully opened and Rin stood up quickly. Her messy bed hair was thrown over hre shoulder.

"Friday, I start work today!"

She dashed into the bathroom and slammed the poor door shut. All that could be heard was a chaos of objects being thrown and the shower blasting water. Ten minuets swept by, and Rin emerged with a toothbrush poking of out her mouth.

With nimble fingers, she removed her shower cap and threw it to the floor. Her hair, which she had straightened last night, fell without curl down her back. Rin rather liked the new look, but took no time to dwell on it.

She threw on a knee length gray skirt and a pressed collard white shirt that tied in the back. Rin then hopped to the kitchen while she was putting on her black heels, and then reached into the fridge for a banana. A quick glance at her wrist watch informed her that it was now 7:14.

She groaned, and ran out the door. Lucky for her, she lived in the part of town where there were many cabs going up and down the streets at all times.

She caught one easily, and slammed the door close.

"Takahashi Corporation please, and can you hurry? I don't want to be late."

She gave the man a soft smile so he wouldn't think she was pushy. He smiled back, and dived back into early morning traffic. She tried to relax by looking in her purse for some gum, but found none.

Leaning back into the seat, she then starting fidgeting. What if her boss was a complete asshole?

Rin shook her head, and ran a hand though her long luscious locks. She glanced at her watch, 7:46. Her nerves were extra excited and on the edge; her mind pleaded for the traffic to move out of the cab's way.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Rin handed the cab driver a twenty and stepped out of the cab. She walk/ran inside the building and greeted the receptionist. The lady smiled warmly at the frantic woman.

Rin faked a smile back.

"Hello, I'm Rin, I was just hired to start my new position as an executive assistant?"

The woman clicked something on her computer and typed something with her keyboard. Rin decided she was wearing entirely too much makeup when she looked back up at her.

"Ah yes, here's your ID card, and you can go straight up hunny. Know where you're going?"

Rin nodded, and clipped the card to her shirt.

"Well good luck."

The elevator was beyond crowed; Rin, already not liking small closed in spaces, kept her mind clear to ignore the people crushed around her. She couldn't even check her watch to see if she was late or not.

The ding sounded for her floor, and she (gently) shoved her way of what had seemed like a Japanese subway. Briefly fixing her hair and outfit, she flashed her badge for security and flew down the hall like a bat out of hell.

Room 320 was all of the way down the hall, by its self, and Rin assumed she was working for an important officer of the company.

Her throat cleared, and her first landed three strong knocks. Through the wood, she heard a faint voice beckon her inside. Her hand closed around the knob, and she let herself in. The office was huge, way bigger than the office she had her interview in.

In front of her were three extremely comfortable looking chairs, and then a large cherry wood desk. Papers were in various neat piles over the smooth surface, and a flat screen computer was stationed on the left corner.

To her far far left, there was a see through sliding door. There, another desk was stationed. The smaller officer was clearly bare, and clearly her new work area. Behind the cherry wood desk was an entire wall that was made completely out of glass; the view covered most of the town and the reminiscence of a recent sunrise.

What truly had her confused, however, was the silver head that was leaned over some paperwork at the desk. Why hadn't Inuyasha told her he was going to be her boss, instead of remaining quiet? An even tone called out to her then, breaking all thoughts.

"On time does not mean coming in exactly 8:00. I expect you to be here when I am, because I need my coffee."

He looked up, and Rin tried to contain the gasp in her throat. Her heart sped up, and she suddenly wished she had spent a little longer on her makeup. She had not expected the man she had met a week ago to be her boss.

And from the looks of it, nether had he. His face, pale and cold, warmed a few degrees. Rin recalled the grin he had shown her, and wondered why the sudden persona change. Nether of them spoke for a while, and it was quickly becoming an embarrassing moment for Rin.

She shifted legs, and smiled.

"Sesshomaru, it's nice to see you again. I would have never guessed that you were my new boss."

Her mind reminded her of the woman she saw kissing him, but dismissed it immediately. A quick scan of his hand reminded her that he wasn't married, and it was fair game.

_'Yes! Yes! Yes! Sexy boss for me!'_

He rose then, and Rin let her eyes roam over his burgundy collared shirt that sharply contrasted his unrestrained unnatural hair. His eyes brightened considerably, and she saw the smile that tried to take over his lips.

"I hadn't checked the name for my new assistant."

He reached her, and tucked his hands into his pocket. Rin decided she liked his professional demeanor.

"So I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot more now."

He nodded.

"Well, since we've met already, you already had the pleasure of getting to know me. Usually, I don't get very... social with my assistants."

She laughed, and he finally let a small smile grace his lips. His hands came up out of his pockets, and he gestured towards to the other office.

"Let me show you your office."

Together they walked to the sliding down, and he slid it back before they stepped into the room. The room was decidedly bare. The desk and the desk chair stood near the door, and Rin spotted a small sink area, a microwave, and another door.

She pointed towards the door.

"What's that?"

He followed her finger to the door.

"A bathroom."

Dropping her purse on the desk, Rin took a seat in the cozy chair. The computer hummed to life when she turned it on. To her surprise, Sesshomaru came around her side of the desk, and sat on the corner of it. He was close enough for her to get a whiff of his cologne, which almost made Rin want to melt.

"I assume you know what an executive assistant does, but I'll outline specifically what I like mine to do."

His tone was strictly professional, and the woman wondered just how long she was going to be able to ignore his obvious attractiveness.

"I'm a very busy man, and so I'm going to need you to keep up with me. I come in every morning at seven thirty, and I need a large cup of coffee, black, handed to me when I get upstairs. I'll have you do a range of things, such as organizing my meetings, taking my calls, arranging my flights, and anything else I didn't mention."

He looked expectantly at Rin, who merely nodded and scribbled something down on a note pad she had pulled from her bag. Then she looked up, and smiled brightly.

"Sounds great!"

_**V **_

The next few hours, Sesshomaru tried in vain to ignore his assistant. Every few seconds his eyes wandered off the papers he was reading to sneak a glance through the sliding door of her office. She'd be there, obediently shuffling through the documents he had given her or sipping some of her water.

His let his gaze search her. Rin was the last person he expected to walk into his office this morning. His surprised has eventually dissipated, and now was replaced with a growing interest for the woman. He rather liked the new straight hair; it fell well down her back where the ringlets had rested on her shoulders. Her features were more pronounced; her heart shaped face and those deep brown eyes stuck to his mind sharply.

He studied the creamy skin of her neck, lowering until he reached the more than gentle swell of her breasts. Sesshomaru wasn't a man of many 'conditions', but one thing he liked to see with woman was semi-big breasts.

He wondered fleetingly what it would be like to hold the soft mounds in his hands, and to kiss those innocent looking lips...

His phone suddenly rang, destroying whatever fantasy he was trying to have. Attitude plaguing his spirit, Sesshomaru grabbed the offending equipment before it could ring a second time.

"Yes?"

"Um, sorry to disturb you sir, but your father is coming up to your office."

He slammed the phone down, and stared, irritated, at his paper riddled desk. A soft hand on his shoulder broke him from his sudden bad mood, and made him glance up. Rin was leaning down towards him, a concerned look on her face.

"Sess, you okay?"

Surprised at the nickname, he just watched her for a moment. When he didn't respond, it only increased her worry. She frowned then; her hand slid horizontally onto his shoulders.

"You're really tense. I took a class once to learn how to give massages."

And before Sesshomaru could deny her unstated offer, her small hands set to work; they gripped his muscles and softly moved them up and down. After a few moments, he felt his body begin to relax. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

All traces of his before mood were abolished, leaving a calmer and more relaxed one to replace it. One of her hands traveled up his neck, and long fingers tangled in his hair. They began to knead there, and it all but brought a growl to his lips.

Unknowingly to Rin, Sesshomaru's more...sensitive area was his hair. The more she lightly guided her fingers through it, the more the stirring in his pants became. Her other hand stopped its motions on his shoulder, and dipped down his chest slightly.

Her breath was on his ear, and at this point Sesshomaru knew she was flirting with him purposely.

"Better?"

He was so close to grabbing her and placing her firmly on his lap when there was a quick knock on the door. His father of course didn't wait to be called in, and swiftly interred the office. His brow rose at the sight Sesshomaru could only assume was very suggestive.

His smell of arousal from his hard-on was probably also at fault for his father's now slow spreading smile. Rin released him immediately, and took a good two steps back from him. He glanced at her, and saw the embarrassed greeting smile she was giving his father.

Wanting to save the girl from her obvious discomfort, Sesshomaru cleared his throat.

"Rin why don't you finish up your work, thank you for the massage."

Rin, a grateful smile on her face, quickly scurried to her office and shut the door. Golden eyes clashed with golden eyes. His father was flicking invisible lint off of his expensive tailored suit jacket.

"Why, that was fast."

Sesshomaru glared at the man, and adjusted his chair. He resisted the urge to glance back at Rin.

"What do you want, father."

"Have you seen my e-mail?"

The younger man paused for a moment, before grabbing hold of his mouse. A few clicks were heard, and then there was another pause. Sesshomaru, brow raised, turned back to his father.

"A business retreat? Why do I care?"

Inutashio straightened his tie, and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Sesshomaru, you have the best attendance record I've ever seen. In fact, you spend _too much_ time at the office. A retreat will do you some good. Besides," he added quickly when he saw his son ready to reply, "It's not an option."

His child looked as if he would almost give into pouting, but an equally childish glower formed his expression instead. He glanced to his left, where Rin was working dutifully in her office.

"Take her with you, too. I've got a good feeling about her already."

The old man winked at his moody son before getting up and walking slowly to the sliding door. Rin's startled face looked up at the CEO instantly; she was sure he had come to fire her now. Instead, he smiled warmly at her, and she could place a certain twinkle in his eyes.

"Hello, Mrs.?"

"Rin, I'm not married Sir."

Inutashio faked a surprised look. Behind him, Sesshomaru stood up from his seat to see what his father was up to. The man continued.

"Oh? And what a beauty you are! How would you like to go to Italy?"

Rin, surprised and skeptical all at once, switched her gaze to Sesshomaru when he approached the doorway. When his oddly empty face didn't give her much of a hint, she looked back at the grinning boss of her own boss.

"Well, I did hear it was really nice there. I would like to go some day."

"Yes, it is a very beautiful and _romantic_ place. You'll be on a flight in two weeks. How's that sound, ?"

Another wave of shock hit her, only this time an added feeling of excitement intertwined with it. As much as she tried, she couldn't keep the happiness from dominating her features. Her chair swiveled so she was facing Sesshomaru, who looked as if he was feeling the complete opposite of her own emotions.

"Really?"

When he gave a solid nod, she squealed, and then quickly covered her mouth, blushing in embarrassment. Her fingers then left her mouth to smooth out her skirt attentively.

Inutaisho just chuckled, and turned around to leave. When Sesshomaru heard the audible click of the door swinging shut, he shifted his gaze to his new assistant. She beamed at him.

"Wow, first day on the job, and I find out I'm going to Italy."

She giggled, and Sesshomaru wondered if she was always so excitable. The light sound softened his demeanor.

"Yes, I believe you will enjoy it."

They stared at each other for a few moments, before Rin sheepishly looked down at her desk. He checked his watch.

"I have to go attend a few meetings. I need you to finish this work, and then file the papers on my desk. Meet me outside at 12:00 for lunch."

Rin nodded, and tucked a few straight strands behind her ear. Her boss lingered for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"You, uh, look nice with your hair straight."

Before she could shake off the surprise of his complement and respond, he was already gone. A small smile formed on her lips as she sat down to finish her incomplete work.

_**V**_

She wasn't finished until a half hour before noon, and Rin knew she was partly to blame.

Besides her being unfamiliar with the resources of the office, her mind had been entirely corrupted with thoughts of her boss. All she could think about was that long, gorgeous hair and how good those rippling muscles felt beneath his shirt.

She hadn't intended to be so sensual with him that morning, but one thing lead to another. In part, she was relieved to see that he wasn't rejecting her little advancements. Whoever that woman he was kissing was, she obviously wasn't on his mind.

He _had_ asked her to dessert his self, so obviously he did find her attractive. Empowered by her little thoughts, Rin hummed a sweet tune as she rose from her chair and left her office. Walking up to Sesshomaru's desk, she quickly scanned it for the files he had been talking about.

Spotting them, she heaved them up with two hands. A picture that was lying underneath flew off the desk then, and fluttered to the carpeted flooring. Groaning, Rin set the heavy stack down before bending over to retrieve the fallen object.

Her brown eyes scanned the printed photo. Sesshomaru was smiling, dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. He was standing next to a woman dressed in a maternity shirt and jeans. One of his arms was wrapped in a protectant way around her waist, while fingers of the other hand were placed on her protruding belly.

The woman had an odd look to her, like she was keeping a secret in her off red eyes. Rin turned the picture around.

_March 2__nd__, 2010- 7 months _

Quietly, Rin set the picture down. She carried the files into her office, and shut her door. The keys clinked together as she made her way around the main office, turning off the lights before grabbing her bag.

Her eyes surveyed the room, before she shut the door and locked it.

Her mind was jumbled. He had never mentioned being married, or even having a child, to her before. Suddenly, she was angry. Did he think he could have some type of office affair with his assistant, while his wife was home taking care of their son at home alone?

She would set him straight.

After getting onto the elevator and riding it down to the first floor, Rin forced a smiled for the security guard before walking out onto the bustling front steps of her job.

She didn't wait long, around 3 minutes, when Sesshomaru stepped up to her with a phone to his ear. He motioned with his arm for her to follow him, and lead her to where his car was humming patiently.

She slid into the smooth leather seat, and purposely looked out the window as the car pulled off down the street.

"No, tell them that we don't need their business….What?...Set up a meeting for next Monday. I have to go. Click."

Silence filled the car, but it didn't last long.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?"

Rin denied herself the shrug she wanted so badly to display; instead she turned her head to look at the man she had thought was honorable.

"I don't know, where do you usually take your assistants out to eat?"

If he detected the note of sarcasm in her voice, he didn't show it. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't usually take my assistants out for lunch."

Rin took his words as an opportunity to let him know that she was not the woman to be played with.

"Did you tell every girl who's had this job that? Look, sir, I wanted this job to finally do something that I love to do. Not to play some whore for her boss! Don't take me out or complement me if you know you have a wife and kid at home!"

She paused, and saw his mouth open to respond. She cut him off.

"Don't even deny it; I saw that picture on your desk. If you want to fire me, go ahead, because I won't drop down to that level."

She looked at him with a fierce gaze, but paused at his somber expression. The car pulled up to a curb, and he took the keys out of the ignition. Dark amber eyes stared straight ahead.

"A year ago, I was engaged to a woman named Kagura. She was pregnant with what I thought was my child."

He paused, and Rin felt a foreboding feeling settle in her chest.

" I… came home from the office one day early. I wanted to surprise her with some things I found for the baby's room. And…"

His fist tightened, and he leaned back in the driver's seat dejectedly. Rin, feeling nothing but guilt now, smoothed her hand over his fist. After a moment, he let her unwind his finders, and his eyes concentrated on the calming caresses.

"I think he was our grounds keeper. I found her, _eight months pregnant_, fucking him. _**Him**_, Rin."

His gaze locked on hers, and Rin saw the raw emotion circling through his eyes. The pain was still there, a wound yet to be closed.

"And when I asked her…what was she doing? She told me that she didn't love me, and that the child was his. A baby that I had been waiting on for so long, prepaid for as my own, wasn't mine."

He blinked, and looked away. She didn't know what to say. Not only did she feel incredibly stupid, but she felt like an ass as well. Not knowing what to do, she squeezed his hand softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened…"

When he didn't respond, she scooted as close as she could in her seat, and reached up a hand to cup the left side of his face.

Turning his head so she could fully see his face, Rin didn't give him time to question her. Instead, she firmly pressed her lips against his; not knowing how to put into words her feelings.

**Thx for reading! Please review ;)-AF**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ugh. Sooooo I totally dropped the ball on this one. I was neglecting you poor readers, and for that I am sorry! SO I really hope to make it up to you guys with wonderful chappy =] enjoy -AF**

**Chapter 5-**

A week and a half passed and Rin was starting to reach her breaking point. After she had unintelligent kissed her boss back when he had told her his horrid story, Sesshomaru had become even more withdrawn. Whether it was engendered by the kiss, or by his emotions, she did not know. What she did know, however, was that she was being quietly pushed away.

Her greenish-brown eyes studied her reflection in her bathroom mirror. Now, she wasn't the type to toot her own horn, but dammit she was gorgeous! There was no reason what so ever as to why she couldn't get such a high end man like Sesshomaru. She sighed dejectedly, and left the image of her face in the mirror.

She was just collapsing onto her bed like a rag doll, when her cell phone started ringing. Not bothering to check the caller id, she connected the call in a non-caring manor.

"Hello?" Her voice dripped with an i-don't-care tone

"Rin"

Said woman sat up instantly on the bed as the sound of his smooth voice.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Listen carefully; I won't be coming in tomorrow. I need you to cancel all of my meetings and re-schedule them. Then I need you to file the paperwork on my desk by noon, along with the assignment I have already given you."

Rin scribbled down quick notes on a pad she lounged across the bed to get from the night stand. Her pen marks were hardly legible.

"Okay, I'll get it done... Uh, are you sick sir?"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone, and then a gentle shuffle.

"Do what I asked you to do Rin,that is all."

There was a faint clink as the call disconnected. The woman sat still for a moment, momentarily dazed by the unfriendly attitude of her boss. He was growling more unlikable by the days. And to think that she would have to spend an entire week with him in the most romantic city in the world, in less than four days!

Suddenly overcome by angry contemplations, Rin yanked up the sheets over her body, and switched off the lights. So much for working for the sexy boss.

_**V**_

The next morning Rin woke up in the same angry mood she feel asleep in, and it didn't help any that her day was a boiling pot of adversity. First, she had burned her silk blouse with a very to hot iron while trying to comb her hair. Then, while walking down to the street where she could hail a cab, a car sped past the curb, slashing a clean and pressed Rin with muddy water.

By the time she showered, changed and got to the office, it was nearly nine, and she was so mad that people who walked pass her commented on her fraught behavior. She had finally gotten settled into the paperwork she was asked to do when she slowly came down from her prissy mood. By lunch, Rin even regarded her earlier behavior as childish. She was a fully grown adult, and she needed to act like it.

Biting into a ham and cheese sandwich, she checked her phone for any messages. Mad as she was at Sesshomaru, she couldn't help but to feel a twinge of worry for him. After all, she had no idea why the over zealous demon of a boss had taken off in the first place. She took another bite, sipped some of her steaming coffee, and scrolled through her contacts.

The other end rang, but no one answered. She tried once more before scrunching her face. Even though she had worked for him for not even two weeks, Rin knew that Sesshomaru not answering his phone was more than unusual. In fact, he had made it a point to tell her that she should always have her phone near by, because just like him she needed to be available 24/7.

Rin sighed. Her stubborn side was telling her to mind her own business, as she was still hurt by his reaction to her concern last night. Yet, her caring side told her that she should make sure he was alright. As silly as it seemed that she wanted to check on a fully capable man, Rin stilled let the idea coax her into the back of a cab.

Twenty minutes later, she was looking at the familiar slight of his building. She paid the taxi driver, and stepped onto the side walk. Her high heels clicked against the pavement with her every move. The receptionist, whom Rin recalled to be the woman who Sesshomaru was retrieving his mail from the morning she returned his wallet, smiled and winked at her.

Smiling shyly back, Rin slid into the conveniently open elevator and pressed the top floor button. She pictured a drunken Sesshomaru, half awake and half gone, leaning against the wall of the shaft and supported by her body. The elevator's ding brought her back, and, adjusting her hair, she continued down the hall to his door.

Her first rapid succession on knocks was left unanswered; the second and third followed with the same empty response. Reaching into her black purse, Rin produced a set of keys. Her eyes narrowed on the cold metal ring until she picked out a single key. She was to only use his house key in cases of emergencies.

She was worried, and since he didn't define 'emergencies', she slid this little en devour into the category. The door unlocked with a soft click, and Rin turned the knob slowly before cracking the door open.

Inside was dark. Thick curtains were pulled to cover the full window wall, and effectively blocked out any and all light from the living room. Closing the door behind her, Rin had to strain her eyes into the dark to avoid bumping into furniture. Her black bag was left forgotten on the couch.

"Sesshomaru? Are you here?"

No answer.

With a feeling of dread climbing into her stomach, Rin ventured further down the hall towards the bedroom. The door to the half bathroom in the hall was open, and her passing reflection in the mirror had her heart leaping into her throat. Patting her rapidly thumping chest, she moved until she was directly in front of the slightly cracked door of Sesshomaru's room.

A faint noise could be heard beyond.

"Sesshomaru? Are you okay?"

Long fingers pushed the door open a few more inches, then the rest of the way. The bed was a messy collection of tangled sheets, but nothing else seemed off in the room. The light sound she had heard earlier turned into a louder pounding. It came from a closed door further inside the empty room.

By this time, the feeling in her gut had risen to her chest; it took her a few moments to collect herself and advance to the closed door. Rin had a feeling that something wasn't right, and it worried her. Biting the inside of her cheek, she knocked loudly on the white door.

"Sesshomaru?"

She could finally make out the sound to be from a running shower; steam vented out at the bottom of the door to warm the toes in her open heels. She knocked again, more frantically.

When no answer came she didn't wait around to consider a third knock. She twisted the knob, breathed a sign of relief that it was unlocked, and swiftly entered the room. The huge bathroom echoed her heel's hard stabs against the linoleum floor. The shower, situated on the right corner of the room, was one of a spacious pentagonal shape.

Even through the fogged glass, Rin could make out the shape of a body lying on the ground; her heart stopped. For a moment, Rin was sure she was going to see her first dead body.

In a flash she had kicked off her shoes, yanked open the glass door, and ducked through the streaming scorching water to turn the handles to the off position. The water out of the way, a partially wet Rin crouched down to examine the situation.

Even when on the floor of a shower, with skin red from burning and hair in a complete frenzy, Sesshomaru still managed to look elite. When he responded to her hand on his back with a slight hiss, Rin let out a huge sigh of relief. It was short-lived, as her boss was still obviously hurt in some way.

Moving a thick wet clump of white hair from his face, she cupped his cheek.

"Sess? What's wrong? What happened?"

There was a flutter beneath his eyelids, and then they parted slightly and slowly to reveal a pair of amber orbs. A grunt sounded from deep in his throat, and he closed his eyes. Convinced that he was seriously injured, Rin made a move to get up.

"I'm calling an ambula..."

Fingers encircled her arm and pulled her back down to the floor. Sesshomaru, eyes open again, was growling.

"Don't..."

His voice came out as a harsh, faint whisper. He was breathing faster, as if that small word had taken monstrous energy to produce. Rin at once understood, and crouched back near him. His fingers loosened on her arm, but didn't retreat.

"You can't stay here Sess, let me help you to the bed"

He didn't respond at first, but the slight movement of his head gave her an answer.

The journey took more than a few minutes to achieve; she had never seen Sesshomaru so tired and seemingly weak before. He seemed to be in pain from the slight grunts he made when they first maneuvered off the floor. A few short steps at a time were the fastest he could manage, until they reached the far placed bed.

He sat down, eyes closed, and Rin had to help him lift his legs into the bed. She was too concerned about his heath to be embarrassed by his state of undress. Raising the blanket up his chest, Rin watched him breathe quietly. She was so glad he was okay. A feeling of immense relief filled her, but it was also laced with the fear of _what if_.

What if she had been too selfish in her own emotions to come here?

Would Sesshomaru have been found?

Would he have died?

Before she even noticed, a hot tear fell hastily down her cheek and onto the floor. She instantly wiped at the wet trail, but only more came.

A clawed hand gently came to her cheek, and softly smeared the moisture there. Holding onto his hand with both of her own, Rin's wet eyes meet his agonized gaze, and she sniffed quietly.

"Sess...Are you okay?"

He gaze softened, and he sighed soft in his throat.

"I'll be fine. You can..."

He seemed to have lost his thought, and he closed his eyes once more. A few minutes later Rin wondered if he had fallen asleep when his eyes suddenly reopened to focus acutely on her.

"You can't stay, I'll hurt you."

He pulled his hand away then, and nudged her shoulder as if to signal her to leave. Rin looked at him as if he was mentally insane, and frowned. Her eyes became teary once more.

"I'm most definitely not leaving until your 100% normal! You got that?"

He just stared at her, eyes piecing her skin like knives, until she got up and left the room. When she returned a little while later with her work bag, his eyes were close and his chest was rising and falling with his breathing.

Rin watched him for a moment, moving a strand of wet hair off of his face, before moving to a desk area in the room. There she set up her laptop, and pulled up the search engine. Sesshomaru's sudden sickness seemed to be fortuitous; the day before he had seemed his normal cooled self, and today she had found him half aware of reality on his shower surface.

She needed answers, and she needed them now. It was the only thing that was going to put her worried mind to rest. In the blank she typed in illness+demon+weak, and pushed enter. The paged flashed with results. She scrolled down, until a site's description caught her eye. She clicked on the link.

The site was named 'Demonology-The study of demons and illness'. She skipped the introductory paragraph, and stopped when a bolded title read **'Common sicknesses'.** Her eyes scanned the symptom column, until Sesshomaru's matched up.

_'If a demon is having issues with sudden weakness, fatigue, disorientation, etc., then he or she may be suffering from Myrumpluthus. Myrumpluthus occurs when the levels of Ioe, an important enzyme in demons, is severely low._

_The causes of Myrumpluthus are still unknown, but it is known that it can prove fatal if left untreated. Other side effects may include aggressiveness, confusion, short-term memory lost, nausea, and more.'_

Saving the information to her memory, Rin abandoned the desk to crouch near Sesshomaru's bed side. He was sleeping soundlessly. Resting a hand on his muscular shoulder, Rin gently nudged him. His eyes flashed open instantly, as if he was a student who had just been caught snoozing during class.

He mumbled something incoherent, and Rin couldn't catch what he said. Instead, she offered an apologetic smile.

"Sess, do you think what you have is Myrumpluthus?"

His stare was thoughtful, and Rin truly believed that he had understood her question. But then he reached up to grasp her arm. Puzzled, she watched with curious eyes as he tugged on her limb. At his insistence, she leaned down close to him, and turned her head so her ear was cocked towards his mouth.

A moment passed by. Then there was the tingling sensation of warm breath on her neck, followed by a sharp pain. Immediately flinching back, Rin pressed a hand against her crook of her neck and uttered a loud

"ouch!"

Her fiery gaze met with Sesshomaru's empty expression.

"Why did you bite me?"

But he was already turning over, completely ignoring her, and pulling the cover over his now dried and disarray hair.

Rubbing her sore neck, Rin decided she had no more options to take but one last hope. She snooped around until she found Sesshomaru's phone on a dresser, and then scrolled through his contacts until she found the one she wanted.

_**V**_

"And when I came in, I found him lying on the floor in the shower, unconscious. I don't know what to do; he doesn't want me to take him to the hospital or anything."

"_*Chuckling* Oh my dear child, Sesshomaru's perfectly fine."_

Inutashio's voice came in clear from the other line. Rin frowned, and set a hand on her hip. She was pacing around in the kitchen with half a mind to make her boss something to eat.

"What? Then how do you explain all his symptoms? I think he has Myrumpluthus…"

"_*More laughing* Myrumpluthus? Oh, heavens no. You see Rin, this has been happening to him for quite some time. When a youkai male hasn't been mated yet, once every year he goes through three stages. The first two days is sluggishness, and then sudden weakness. That sounds like what Sesshomaru has now. The next, let's say few hours; he'll go into the next stage which is constant fatigue. He'll be in and out of sleep for perhaps a day."_

"But why? What's being mated have to do with any of this?" 

"_Well in our culture, A woman mate, eh, let's just say is an essential component to a certain 'activity' that provides the male with something called demologin, or the 'love enzyme' as it's often called. This enzyme serves as a catalysis that breaks down an important protein in a youkai's body. Understand?"_

Rin, cheeks burning, nodded once, and then remembered she was on the phone.

"Yes, I understand."

"_Great! He should be fine by this time tomorrow. Oh, and Rin"_

"Yeah?"

"_The third phase, just try to not be in the same room as Sesshomaru. He'll be…a bit aggressive, and he'll attempt to 'solve the problem' if you will.."_

Confused at his words, Rin started to ask him what he meant. Realization dawned on her, however, and she felt her body temperate increase significantly.

"Ye…yes, I understand. Thank you for your help, Mr. Takahashi." 

"_No problem Rin. Don't bother coming in the rest of this week. Remember, you and Sesshomaru have a 7:30 a.m. flight on Saturday. He'll have the tickets. Until next time."_

Placing her boss's cell on the counter, Rin returned to his room to check on him. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically, and his face was pale and peaceful. Assured that he would be alright when he awoke, Rin wondered into the room next door.

She made quick work of her blouse and skirt, before diving under the bed's soft sheets. Instead of sleeping, her mind was much more occupied with Sesshomaru's father's warning. The thought of Sesshomaru waking up as a crazed sex-frenzied demon was almost humorous, save for the fact that as she was the nearest female to him she would be the one in a dangerous predicament.

She stood no change against him, of course. But then again, who would be opposed to be ravaged by a hot, mindless and horny Sesshomaru? No! Bad Rin! She was not going to sit her and ponder her boss like he was some usable toy! She was here to help him through whatever this was, and that's what she was going to do.

Snuggling into the pillow, Rin feel asleep to the image of his flashing topaz eyes.

**V**

The room was dark. Groaning, Sesshomaru rolled over onto his back. He was surprised when the effort had most of his energy drained. Though his eyesight was blurry, he could make out that he was in a room. _His_ room. Hadn't he been taking a shower?

The sound of a door opening reached his sensitive hearing, and he tried his best to move his head in the direction of the sound.

"Sess? Are you awake?"

_Rin?_

Said woman finally loomed into sight, and when she saw him returning her gaze, she smiled warmly at him. He didn't know why, but seeing her made him feel somewhat better. He tried to speak, but the words felt so heavy, and they came out as muddled muttering in his mouth.

She shushed him with a finger, and placed a warm hand on his cheek. Her eyes seemed to survey him, and they stopped right above his forehead. A small smile shaped her lips then, and she locked eyes with him again.

Suddenly, she left his sight. Tiredness began to overcome him then, and he slowly submitted to it. He didn't know whether he had just dozed off, or fell asleep for an appreciable amount of time, but when he regained awareness of his surroundings, there was a warm presence behind him.

Something light was trailing lightly against his scout. A glance to the left and right told him that he was situated in the lap of a woman, whose name he instantly knew.

"Rin?"

This time the word, though harsh, vibrated correctly out of his throat. Unconsciously, he leaned into the soft feeling coming from his head.

"I hope I didn't wake you, your hair was just so knotty…It gave you such a rouge look."

Her voice was quiet, and gentle. Relaxing into her touch, Sesshomaru closed his eyes again, and let a light pleased rumble shake his chest. Before long, sleep claimed him again.

**V **

She knew she shouldn't go in there, but the thought was so tempting. Hours before she had spent the time holding Sesshomaru in her lap, softly combing though his unruly hair and breathing in his alluring smell. Now, she was confined to the safety of the locked guest room.

Through the door she could hear his anguished moans and growls; it was painful to have to listen to him suffer. Inutashio certainly didn't tell her that he would be in so much _pain_. Rin squeezed her eyes shut, and tired to ignore the constant whines. The guilt crept upon her like a hunter its prey; here she was with all the solutions, and yet not answering the problem.

When her resolve started to slip, she tired arguing with herself. She was a _virgin_, and her ideal first time had not included an out-of-it and uncomprehending crazed demon. He was her boss, and that would be incredibly awkward. She may loose her job…

A piercing whine that made her skin crawl broke the final locks of her inaction. Rin, no longer able to just stand by, unlocked the door. The instant she interred the room, his 'cries' quieted, like a child would do when a parent came into their room while they were crying. On the bed he laid, sniffing, and making rapid movement under the sheets.

When she came closer, she discovered he was viciously yanking what she could only assume was his 'part', obviously trying to seek some relief. His eyes, tainted red, focused on her when she approached the bedside. A low growl emitted from him; that combined with the baring of his fangs told her he did not recognize her.

"Sesshomaru, it's me…Rin…"

Sesshomaru, continuing to growl, sniffed the air around them.

"I'm here to help you, Sess, I'm not going to hurt you."

He looked so threatened, and Rin didn't blame him. Here he was, going through what she gathered was immense pain, and all of the sudden she comes out of nowhere. She remembered learning that in a weakened state, demons did not always respond kindly to beings who weren't their mate. And Rin was certainly not his mate. Therefore, her move to help him was a move that could now kill her.

It was much too late to seek the safety of the guest room to further organize her thoughts. All Rin could do was pray that he wouldn't kill her in his confused state. His eyes, still stained with crimson, watched her carefully.

While he contemplated her, Rin couldn't help but to admire the taunt skin of his chest; the finely sculpted muscles begged her fingers to trace every inch of it again and again. Her eyes rose to study his face, and then the movement of his hand obscured from her view.

Forgetting her life or death situation, Rin blushed shyly. No, she wouldn't mind giving herself to this heaven like man at all. She just hoped afterwards, there could be more to their association. Hopefully, their relationship wouldn't become an awkward mess. Hopefully.

So into her thoughts, Rin didn't notice when Sesshomaru shifted closer to her. When he finally had her complete attention, he took a few more sniffs, gave her one last weak growl, and lounged at her.

_**V**_

Cold icy blue eyes surveyed the tidy apartment. Taro glared, annoyed by the neatness that surrounded him. Walking up to a vase on a table, he proceeded to push the offending sculpture of the end. It hit the tiled floor with a loud smack, and clay pieces shot out everywhere.

"Oh Riinnnnn, where are youuuuuuu."

He stuck the long gleaming knife he was holding into the old couch that occupied the living room, smiling darkly after producing several more slashes. A few pictures where knocked down, the bedroom was trashed, he ripped down the shower curtain in the bathroom, and broke the medicine cabinet mirror with his fist.

A deep laugh escaped his mouth when he threw plates like Frisbees across the house. A pile of paper in front of the main door made him pause, and he bent over to pick it up. It was mail. He flipped through the pieces, ready to toss the pile over his shoulder, when a particular piece caught his eye.

The return address read _Takahashi Corporation_.

"So, that's where you work, huh Rinny?"

Folding and tucking the mail into pocket of his stolen jeans, Taro reached into his jacket to produce a match. He ran the little piece, and watched transfixed as a flame fluttered into existence. A wicked grin stretched across the length of his face when he turned towards the door, throwing the flickering destroyer over his shoulder in a nonchalant fashion. The apartment instantly went up into a hot, consuming firestorm.

**Hoped you enjoyed. P.S.- Let me know if I have any mistakes that you see, sometimes I can re-read these things a million times and still miss some errors. Anyways, pleaseeeee Review =]-AF**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to those who reviewed, and now it's on to the next chappy. Oh, and before I begin, when Sess bit Rin in the last chapter, he didn't mark her *lol* but it was, in a weird unconventional way, a foreshadowing. I've already said too much! So enjoy =]-Af**

**Chapter 6- **

She should have been scared.

She should have been panicking and struggling and screaming as those crimson eyes narrowed in on her. And yet, none of those actions seemed appropriate to her. There was a certain calm Rin found in Sesshomaru's hungry gaze, and her relaxed body translated to the wild beast above her.

He was irritated and in pain, that much was obvious. Yet in the absence of her fear, his inner turmoil seemed to clear, and Rin thought for a second that he would blink and those golden eyes she had come to adore would be staring back at her again.

She was wrong.

He sat up then, so sudden that she gasped, and his elongated claws gripped the front of her shirt roughly. There was a mind searing tear, and the torn fabric was limply tossed aside. Rin, heart beginning to beat erratically in anticipation and uneasiness, let her eyes roam Sesshomaru's well toned and tighten body.

She followed his strong jaw down to the veins that popped in his neck, and let the trail guide her eyes down the expense of his muscular chest and rippling six packs. She should have stopped there, but a tug on her skirt forced her to continue busying her mind. His navel looked smooth enough to touch, and then…

"Oh."

Her brownish eyes caught sight of his fully erected member, and what felt like a hot blush immediately fired up her cheeks. She had spent the long hours in the office sometimes imagining what her boss's…_piece_… looked like, but her mind's imagination had not been anywhere close to being accurate.

_How to describe it?_

Long? Thick? _Immpossible_?

There was no way her virgin body could accommodate Sesshomaru's clearly not human appendage, and that thought worried her. In seconds she felt completely bare, and Rin wondered, surprised, how long she had been under his observant gaze.

The bed shifted under his weight when he brought his two powerful arms to rest on either side of her waist. His face became barely a hair's length away from hers. His stare was authoritative and challenging; as if daring her to undermined his hold on her.

Rin laid perfectly still in response. His growl seemed to signify his pleasure. Her recessive actions earned her a kiss.

As soon as his lips touched hers, Rin discovered the difference between human men and demon males. Unlike kisses she shared with her own race, this one was hot and electrifying. It felt just as it did when she had kissed him days ago in his car, only then he had pushed her away before she could completely explore the wonderful shocks.

Now he ran his tongue along her bottom lip as a hand held her chin in a stone grip. When his muscle slipped between her bruised lips, she was already thoroughly drunk with pleasure. A moan escaped her throat when rough fingers attacked her breast and squeezed the sensitive nipple harshly.

She tried to keep up with his tongue; he swept the damp space of her mouth and battled her own tongue for foreseen dominance. Another growl rumbled his chest when she gave into him, and Rin found that she enjoyed pleasing her boss's demonic side.

His mouth left hers abruptly then, and she couldn't hold down the whine that followed suit. Rin swore she saw the sides of his mouth curl into a ghost of a smile, before his head disappeared from her sight. When lifting her head, she found it too heavy to hold and fell back down onto the pillow.

There seemed to be a pause, and Rin realized then how hot it had gotten in the room. Then something wet and strong circled her left breast before it was taken into a hot mouth. He sucked and used his fangs to bite the soft mound until the skin was red and wet, before switching to the other. Arching her back to capture more of the warmth, Rin lifted her hand to rest it on Sesshomaru's unruly hair.

Briefly, she thought of how she had just combed the tangle mass to perfection, and then a hand pulling her legs wider apart caught her attention. Sesshomaru, seeming to become bored with her abused breasts, had moved further down her body. One clawed hand lightly traced the long scar of her stomach, and she shivered. Now, to Rin's horror and excitement, his face was positioned inches away from her clean shaven heat. He breathed out, and the hotness made her toes tingle in delight.

His red eyes were trained on her slightly elevated head when he flicked his tongue over her slit. Her breathing became heavy and her eyes drifted nearly close.

"Sess…I-ahhhh!"

His face pressed flesh into the apex between her legs, and his pink muscle quickly got to work. He circled her clit before kneading it between his dangerous fangs, all of which had Rin clutching the sheets around her and moaning repeatedly.

A clawed finger took over his ministrations, and his tongue moved to tease her already wet opening. A few seconds later, Rin could only cry out loudly when he, without warning, thrust into her with a single finger.

Her legs tightened around his shoulders, and she squirmed under his hold. But his grasp on her was absolute, and a quick threating growl ceased anymore attempts to pull away. His movements were foreign and uncomfortable to her body; Rin's mind cleared from her high and started to re-fill with dread.

If his finger hurt, she could only imagine what the real thing would be like. His trespassing digit gave a few short pumps, before Sesshomaru drove it in even deeper. He paused then, and Rin thought that her whines of discomfort had finally somehow affected the demon. She was again yet wrong.

His finger felt like it curled, and then there was a distinct feeling of something being torn. A jeering pain started up between her legs, and the woman squeezed her eyes shut as tears threatened to overflow. An uneven pitched sound escaped her throat, and something trickled out of her and down her inner thigh.

The finger withdrew, but the pain didn't. Silent tears fell down Rin's face, but she bit her lip to keep back from crying out loud. At the feeling of his warm tongue lapping at her thigh, she calmed some. The bed shifted, and he was level with her face again.

His still crimson gaze took in her face for what seemed like several minutes but was only a brief moment, before he lackadaisically licked the salty trials of her tears. This action stunned her, but when his finished and looked expectantly at her, Rin suddenly found the roots of a bold impulsion.

Using her hand to slide around the base of his neck, she pressed her lips to his forcefully. There was that exciting jolt again, cloaked in a tangy yet sweet taste that wasn't there before. Sesshomaru growled at her, but seemed to allow her to kiss him until her brain fogged over with his natural aphrodisiac. When she pulled away for air, he sat up on his knees again.

In a move she never saw coming, his arms had wrapped around her waist flipped her into her stomach. Dazed, Rin could only lay silently when she felt the pricks of his claws as they lifted her ass up into the air.

Her heart rate increased. She had forgotten Sesshomaru was, more or less, a dog, and would be taking her virginity while she was on her knees. Fear and anticipations coiled up in her stomach. She wondered how it would be; horribly painful or the complete opposite? It seemed like he had broke something inside of her, her hymen no doubt, so did that mean it wouldn't hurt?  
A hand grabbed her raised hip, and there was suddenly something strong and stiff prodding her entrance. Sesshomaru was growling.

Everything seemed to be incredibly fast paced before, and now it seemed like she had stepped backwards into slow motion. The prodding became a mild pressure that evolved; mild become moderate and moderate become high. Rin bit her lip and buried her face into the pillow before her.

Everything stopped for a moment or two, and then the grip tightened on her hip. Sesshomaru's breathing was heavy. Then his hips jerked forward, and Rin felt herself become painfully full of his pulsating member. Only, the pain wasn't the pain she thought it would be.

Her mouth uttered a quick, "omff".

Her body seemed to stretch instantly to accommodate his girth and size, and the dull uneasiness she felt faded away. A few minuets passed by, and she wiggled her hips, signally the demon she was ready for more. He obliged, though whether it was for her or his self she didn't know, and withdrew slowly only to push his self back into her tightness.

Rin groaned, and rose up onto her arms so her back was straight. The demon behind her grunted, and continued a series of mid paced thrusts. She was slowly surpassing the pleasure she had felt from his kisses; the feeling lifted her from her body and brought her to another world.

The thrust became faster, and Sesshomaru's grunts combined with her own pants and moans filled the air. His hand was holding her hip too tightly; his claws pieced her skin and warm streaks of blood tricked down her leg, but Rin could care less. A tight coil was forming in her stomach with each demanding shove of his hips.

Rin closed her eyes, and tried to run towards the climbing sensation. Sesshomaru was now drilling into her with incredible speed; the sound of skin smacking against skin occupied the sex filled air around them. With each hit, she was constantly gasping for air, and trying to call out characters of his name.

"SeeAhh –shooAhh –mmAhh –Sess!"

There was an intense thrust, and she felt her self wash over in a white searing heat. Suddenly Sesshomaru's tangled hair was tickling her bare back, and a sharp pain on her shoulder nearly toppled her over. Her body succumbed to spasms, and clenched tightly around his still moving member, which soon stopped after Sesshomaru's throaty moan, and created a hot sensation within her.

Rin was in a daze again. Her body collapsed heavily on the bed soon after, and a sigh left her lips when she felt his member slip out of her. Something warm slid down her thigh. Summoning the last bit of her energy, she rolled over onto her back to catch a glimpse of Sesshomaru.

He was still situated on his knees, but he had changed. His once crimson orbs were fading back into an imperial golden, and his bottom lip had blood on it. Though awake, he seemed distant and unattached to the reality before him.

"Sess."

The weak call of his name snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in. His eyes jumped to attention, and then narrowed in on her. A look of confusion characterized his gaze, and then he closed his eyes and groaned.

Rin could faintly hear him saying, "What have I done" as she faded more and more away. Her shoulder hurt. Reaching a hand up to touch the spot, she was surprised to see blood staining her fingers. Then sleep took a tight hold of her.

_**V **_

_Rin.._

_Rin…_

"_Rin?"_

Rin blinked, and slowly opened her heavy eyelids. Sesshomaru's face hovered close to hers; his bright saffron eyes immediately perked her up.

"Sess?"

As she sat up, he backed away. Her eyes took in his face, lingering on his lips. She wanted to feel that electrifying sensation again, but stayed still on the bed. A glance around told her she was still in Sesshomaru's room and in his bed.

She didn't recall putting on the oversize shirt she wore now, but she just assumed Sesshomaru had dressed her after she had passed out.

"How are you feeling?"

He was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a dark t-shirt, and Rin was reminded of the day she had returned his wallet. His hair was in perfect order; not a strand was out of place.

He seemed so nonchalant, that Rin almost thought she had dreamt the whole thing. But her hand touched her left shoulder, and sure enough her fingers brushed the bite mark. Sesshomaru caught her movement, and growled lightly.

"Don't touch my mark."

_His mark? _

His eyes went from her shoulder to her face; a sliver of guilt shone in his eyes.

"Sesshomaru, I…"

"What you did was stupid, Rin. You should have never come here."

His words bit her angrily, and Rin grimaced.

"I…I just wanted to help you Sess…"

"I could have killed you!"

His stood from the chair at the bedside and towered over her form.

"Look at what happened! I am a demon, not some weak human man. I do not need a woman to look after me."

Rin didn't meet his eyes. Instead, she brought her legs up under the cover and buried her face into her knees. Her arms wrapped around her legs, and her small body began to shake with muffled crying. The bed shifted, and a warm presence moved behind her. Strong arms wrapped around her body, and pulled her into the comfort of a hard frame.

"Shhhh, Rin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

She sniffed, and lifted her head only to repeatedly wipe her wet cheeks. Sesshomaru stopped her by grabbing her hands, and turned her body to face him. In a gentle motion, he pulled her up to sit in his lap.

They sat like that, in silence, for a moment.

"Why?"

Sesshomaru's quiet question finally broke the shared silence, and startled the woman sitting in his lap.

"Why what?"

"You were a virgin, right?"

Rin felt a hot blush rush to her face, and she started to stutter.

"Um, ye…yeah."

Sesshomaru lightly caressed her cheek, and guided her face until she was looking at him.

"So why did you give yourself to me?"

There was a long pause, and Rin pondered the answer to the question herself. Finally, after some consideration, she began to speak.

"You sounded like you were in so much pain, and I wanted to help you…plus I…"

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her final reply.

"I hoped that if I did, you would…I don't know, want me. It was stupid, I know…"

She stared into his surprised eyes, and waited for what she thought would be the final rejection. Instead, his fingers gentle took hold of her chin, and held her still as he leaned forward. The kiss was long and sweet and promising, three things that Rin relished in completely.

When he pulled her away, she was breathing heavier and staring hopefully up at him. His face was clear and empty, but he caressed her cheek and chin with a gentle claw.

"I apologize. Kagura was… a big part of my life, and I don't think I was quite completely over her until…"

His gaze brushed over her shoulder, but he said no more. Rin recognized that Sesshomaru was not the type of man to share his feelings and thoughts with just anyone, and held the fact that he chose to confide in her on two separate occasions close to her heart.

Her heart beat fast in excitement. Finally, she was getting somewhere.

"Rin, there's something I have to tell you."

The smile on her face shrunk when she heard the seriousness in his tone. His stoic face told no stories and gave no forewarning.

"Yes?"  
Uneasiness began to build up in her stomach.

"I can only remember some bits and pieces of what happened last night. I had no idea what I was doing, and, well, I bit you on your shoulder."

Rin frowned, but quickly smiled. Her fingers reached up to trace the holes again.

"Oh. That's okay, I don't mind. It'll go away."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, and frowned.

"No, Rin, that's not a normal…"

Something started to ring, and Rin instantly jumped up. The collar of the large t-shirt fell down and exposed one creamy shoulder. The woman disappeared from the room then, leaving Sesshomaru wondering why it was taking so long to tell her the true symbol of the mark on her neck.

Perhaps, he eventually thought, it wasn't the right time to tell her. He didn't want to scare her away, after all, which such a heavy proclamation such as mating. Decision made, he was moving to set his feet firmly on the floor, when Rin's scream echoed through the home.

Jumping out of the bed, the demon ran out of the room, and into the guest room. Rin was sitting on the floor near the bed. A phone was lying a few feet away from her. Her tear streaked face turned towards him when he kneeled before her; the sadness and bewilderment in her eyes alerted him.

"Rin, what's wrong?"

Her arms came up and wrapped around his neck as her face buried into his shirt.

"It's all gone."

That was the only reply he received, and Sesshomaru was left to wonder what exactly that meant.

_**V **_

"I'm sorry, Ms."

They were standing in the parking lot of her apartment complex, staring up at the wreckage done by a fire.

Rin gazed at the charred remains of what use to be her home and her neighbor's homes. The only thing she could relish in was the fact that none of her neighbor's was home when the fire broke out. Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned to see a man wearing a bright yellow jacket holding a clipboard. Beside him was a police office holding a notepad.

"Ms. Rin? The fire happened last night, at around 9 o'clock. We tried our best, but by the time we got here it was already out of control. It's a blessing no one was hurt."

The police officer stepped forward then; his face was dark and grim.

"We conducted an investigation this morning. Turns out it was arson, which means the fire was caused by someone. Ms, where were you at the time of the fire?"

Rin blinked at the accusatory look she was getting, and feeling on the verge of tears, looked up at Sesshomaru for help.

"She's been with me since Wednesday, I was sick and she stayed with me at my home."

The police office, caught off guard by Sesshomaru's somewhat aggressive tone, cleared his throat and scribbled something down.

"Look Ms, I'm not saying you did it or anything like that. I'm just doing my job and getting your alibi to rule you out. Do you mind coming to the station with me to give a statement?"

Rin hesitated, but at Sesshomaru's gentle nod, agreed to go with the officer. The man in yellow gave Rin a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry for your home, Ms."

Rin said nothing. She took one last look at her ashen building, and then followed the police office. Her hand gripped Sesshomaru's tightly.

It wasn't for another hour and a half when the couple finally left the downtown precinct. Rin slumped into the passenger seat while Sesshomaru drove. Outside, rain silently fell.

"Who's Taru?"

Rin didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to watch the rain drops fall sideways down the window.

"Rin."

Still no answer.

"Was he the one who put that scar on your stomach?"

Rin's heard turned and her eyes narrowed on him accusatorily. There was an element of fear in her face that hadn't been there before.

"I saw it when I put that shirt on you this morning."

There was a long pause, and the only sound came from the rain softly hitting the windshield.

"When I got out of college, this guy Taru was real obsessed about me. One night he broke into this apartment I shared with a friend, and that's when he cut me. He tried to rape me, but the police got there before he could do anything. I was trying to forget about him, because he was suppose to be in prison for a long time. Then, after we had dessert that one day, I got a call from the DA's office telling me that he had escaped. I guess I didn't really believe he'd come back again."

Sesshomaru pulled into the parking garage of his building, and shut off the engine.

"And now, everything I worked for is gone. It's like I can't get away from him."

Her voice thinned out, and hot tears rolled down her pale face. Sesshomaru unclicked his seat belt, and then got out of the car. Going around the hood, he opened Rin's door, and pulled her into his arms. She welcomed his embrace warmly.

"He won't hurt you anymore, Rin. I promise."

She cried harder at his words, and it wasn't until he was pushing the elevator button to the top floor that she fell into a tear-induced sleep. Sesshomaru rode the elevator up to his floor with Rin safely in his arms, and unlocked his door.

Walking down the hall, he quickly debated whether to lay her down in the spare room or his. Deciding it would be best to give her some space, he pushed the spare room's door open with his foot and laid her sleeping form gently onto the bed.

He watched her sleep for a moment; her cheeks were red from crying and her eyelashes were still wet. Sesshomaru leaned down then, and softly brushed his lips over hers. In her sleep, Rin sighed. The girl needed some time away from her troubles.

Standing up, he realized he had yet to pack for the trip. It was already Friday night,and they had to wake early tomorrow for the morning flight. His eyes lingered on Rin; she no longer had any clothes to pack. They were all in the burned building of which she used to live.

Pulling back on his jacket, Sesshomaru spared her sleeping girl one last look before closing the door behind him.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

Inuyasha answered on the first ring.

"_What's up?"_

"Inuyasha, I need the assistance of your mate."

"_Sure, hold on. Kags! Phone!"_

"_Hello?"_

"This is Sesshomaru. I need your…help."

"_Uh, Sure. What'cha need?"_

"This woman I'm seeing, she just lost everything in a fire."

"_Awww, that's terrible! "_

"We're supposed to be going to Italy tomorrow morning, but now she has no clothes."

"_You want me to help you shop for her don't you? Awwww, Sess that's so SWEET! I'm glad to see your moving on from (offfh, ouch Inu!) never mind."_

Sesshomaru ignored her comment, but the mention of his ex stirred no feelings of anger within him.

"I'll pick you up in thirty minutes. Let me speak to Inuyasha."

"_Sure…..Hello?"_

"I need to ask you something."

"_Sure, shoot."_

"What happened after you marked Kagome?"

"…_why do you ask?"_

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"_I'm waiting."_

"Remember my new assistant?"

"_Oh, yeah. Rin. Sweet girl."_

"I marked her."

"_You…did…WHAT?"_

"It's not my fault! She came to my place while I was _sick_."

"_Ohhhhhhh. You don't know much about mating, do you?"_

"Not when it pertains to humans."

"_Well, first of all you can't reverse it. It's up to her. Thirty days after you marked her on her shoulder, you have to mark her on her breast to make the mating final. If you don't, the first mark will be dismissed."_

"Hn. Simple."

"_There's a catch. If the first mark is dismissed, you can't remark her. If you do, she'll die. Don't ask me why, I'm just telling you how it is. So make your decision carefully. If you turn out to really love this woman, you'll want to mark her. Unmarked humans can't have half-breed babies and they'll have a normal lifespan. Got me?"_

"I have to decide that in _thirty days_?"

"_Like I said, I'm just telling it like it is. Oh, and don't tell Rin. It'll be better if she doesn't know. Oh, and don't tell dad too. I'm almost positive he'll think you marked her so he wouldn't write you out the CEO successor list. _

As much as he hated to admit it, Sesshomaru knew his brother was right.

"_Sesshomaru?"_

"Yes?"

"_Think you may have found the one?"_

The question seemed cheesy and serious all at once. Sesshomaru bit down his initial response of mind your damn business, and recalled Rin's sleeping teary face.

"Perhaps."

**=] Sheesh! What drama. lol. Anyways, please reviewww. until next time-AF**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again =] Coming at you with a nice juicy chapter! Whoooo! Anyways before you jump into the world that is **_**Corporate Takedown**_**, I would like to say something. As you may know, this story currently has **_**85**_** reviews, and I think it's every new writer's dream to hit their first **_**100**_** reviews! Do you know how friggin happy I would be? And only **_**15**_** reviews stand in the way of that happiness. **_**15**_**! I know at least **_**15**_** people are going to read this chapter…I think….**

**So please, pretty pretty pretty please with cherries on top, review review review! BUT! Don't forget to enjoy the chappy =] I really love doing this, writing is my drug 3-AF**

**P.S.-my initial is AF, which stands for Anime Freak, (don't ask me where it came from) & I haven't the slight clue as to why my penname is Extreme Anime. Sooooooo, I'm changing it soon. ;)**

**Chapter 7-**

"_Sesshomaru?"_

"_Hm?"_

_The golden eyed man turned towards her, and Rin felt herself blushing. _

"_Does this mean…I'm your girlfriend now?"_

_He laughed, and leaned in close to her. His breath tickled her neck where his lips hovered. _

"_You will be, if you wake up."_

"_Huh?"_

"Rin, wake up."

Moaning, Rin cracked her eyes as a warm sensation heated her neck. Realizing that she had been dreaming, she shot up in bed immediately. Bad move. She hadn't given her brain enough time to recognize Sesshomaru's form that had been bent over her, in what she assumed was an attempt to wake her up.

Hard skull clashed with an even harder one. Sesshomaru was like a deer in headlights. Unaffected by the blast of her impulsive movement, he stared at her, hands in the air around her head and mouth slightly gaped. It was clear he didn't know what to do as she howled in immense pain, and clutched her poor aching head.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, fuck me!"

She was partially glad that there was one around but the two of them, because from the outside of the door it must have sounded like they were getting down to business. The thought almost made her blush (the pain too great to feel bashful) and Rin opted to change her string of cusses.

" – "

"Rin, _please_ stop with the curses. You're hurting my sensitive hearing."

Rin stopped, and glared at him menacingly. The guy who just tried to kill her with his face was complaining about his _ears_? She was picking up at pillow in preparation to scream "Get out!" and throw it at him, when her mind realized how dark it was in the room. Dropping the momentary weapon, her wide eyes found the red glowing numbers of the clock. It read 5:04 a.m.

Her menacing glare turned into one of poisonous daggers. Sesshomaru, as if reading her mind, gave her a pointed look.

"We have to catch a flight; it's time to get ready."

Rin made an O shape with her mouth, and then excitement bubbled up in her stomach. She sighed, and imagined vividly what Italy would be like. Different city names flashed into her mind; Rome, Venice, Florence, Paris!

_Oh wait, Paris is in France. Duh, Rin. _

Sesshomaru seemed content with watching the no doubt million and one expressions that were crossing her face in mere seconds. His mouth only slightly down casted when a sudden sadness burned away all of her happy excitement. 

"What's wrong?"

Sniffing, Rin shook her head; her messy hair fell in clumps around her shoulders.

"I can't go. My apartment was burned down, remember? I don't have any clothes packed or anything. Sorry, Sess."

She was turning around to plop back down onto the comfortable bed, tears in her eyes, when two strong arms sneaked under the blanket and around her hips. She was hoisted into the air, and pressed against the well defined chest of her boss.

Gasping in surprise, Rin unconsciously gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his hips. He strode out of the room and down the hall towards the living room area, before bending over and setting the frantic girl down on the sofa.

"Sesshomaru, wha…"

All she saw was bags, lots of them, sitting around on the floor and the other couches. Each cluster was from a different store, obvious by the names on the bags, and Rin knew instantly after reading a few that the contents were beyond her budget.

To say she was flabbergasted would be an understatement. She was extremely shocked and surprised, happy, in denial, and confused. The dramatic emotions were all so conflicting; she was, for the first time in her life, rendered completely speechless.

Sesshomaru didn't seem hampered by her lack of response. Instead, he shuffled around the bags until he seemed to find the one he was looking for. The dress he pulled out was simply gorgeous; it was a sunset orange with two finger thick straps and a low cut to show cleavage. It screamed happy and cheerful and _expensive_. Anyone walking down the street in it would be instantly labeled gregarious before they even spoke a word.

Rin loved it.

Her hands reached out to grasp the silky material in her hands when Sesshomaru handed it to her. A few more shuffling through the bags, and he found a pair of white sandals to go with the dress.

"You want to be comfortable on the plane, it's a lon–"

Rin jumped on him, tears falling from her eyes by the gallon full, and hugged him tightly. Somehow through her watery view, she found his mouth. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, and then wrapped his arms firmly around her hips before kissing her back. His tongue traced her bottom lip, and Rin happily obliged by opening her mouth.

He lost his balance, and they ended up on the couch; Rin was trapped beneath Sesshomaru's stronger body.

_Like she minded. _

She moaned low in her throat while wrapping her arms around his neck, and tangling her fingers in his once neat and tangle free hair. One of his clawed hands seized her breast, and his hips gave a taunting grind. His erection was felt immediately.

One moment, Rin was closing her eyes to the feeling of Sesshomaru's warm tongue on her neck and his hard on pressing against her thigh, and then the next all of the warmth was suddenly withdrawn. She sat then, breathing heavily and burning with an untreated ache between her legs.

Her confused gaze found Sesshomaru's gazed over eyes. He stumbled off the couch then, cursed while fumbling through the scattered bags, and a few seconds later she heard the door to his bedroom slam shut.

Puzzled, Rin blinked slowly. Had she done something to offend him? Had she made him mad?

Her heart dropped for a moment, but then her eyes scanned over the expensive clothes he had bought for her the night before, and a peaceful calm reigned over her. He would not have done something like this for her if he didn't have some feelings for her.

On shaky confidence, she stood and made several trips to her room and back to deposit the clothes in there. When she went to her room for the final transfer, the faint sound of running water reached her ears. Sesshomaru must have been taking a shower.

Deciding that was a good idea, the woman shut the guest room's door with her foot, and picked up the dress. After dumping each bag, she located (with a very hot blush burning her cheeks) a few dozen pantie and bra sets. Since the material of the dress was somewhat thick, she didn't have to worry about which color she should wear. A black lacy set drew her eyes, and Rin plucked it from the bed with a happy nod. Another smaller bag that Rin had not dumped contained each and everything a female woman would need, and she had wondered while looking at the contents if Sesshomaru had some help on his little shopping spree. The thought took a lot of embarrassment off her shoulders.

Shutting the bathroom door behind her, she quickly turned the step in shower switch to semi-hot, and closed the glass door. Steamy water erupted from the shower head at once. Rin made quick work of her clothes, and stood before a long mirror that decorated a part of the bathroom wall.

Her eyes instantly fell of the long, dark peach-ish scar that adorned her belly. Her slightly whiter skin contrasted against the mark harshly. She had always been %100 confident in her body, until Taro made cut her with that knife.

Shuddering as his icy blue gaze came into her mind; Rin shook off the memory before stepping in the glass shower.

_**V **_

Sesshomaru was in her room when she finally stepped out of the bathroom. At almost 6, light was starting to seep into the room. He was leaning over her bed, placing a bikini into a large suitcase that appeared as if he packed it his self.

Rin would have thanked him (she wasn't much of a packer), but apprehension seized her throat. His earlier actions clouded her mind again, and casted doubt and insecurity over her heart. He looked up while he zippered the suitcase, and paused.

Not wanting to look too affected by what had transpired earlier, Rin offered a small, _small_ smile. The dress made her body fell like she was a Japanese princess bathed in the most expensive and grandest silk available, so it was hard to remain completely indifferent. His kindness had already burned a hole into her brain and rooted.

She had to walk past his form to retrieve her sandals, but when she tried to pass him, she found herself in his arms yet again. She was brought face to face with his phlegmatic expression. He said nothing, but leaned forward and kissed her softly on the shoulder where his bite mark was still present. For some odd unknown reason, the weird gesture satisfied her fears. When he released her, he went back to closing the suitcase, and then carried it out of the room.

Opening the new black handbag he had gotten her, Rin merrily tossed little items into it before slinging it over her shoulder. She was just grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge when her stomach grumbled unhappily.

"We'll pick something up along the way."

His deep voice called her attention behind her, where he was standing. For the first time, she took in his jeans and dark t-shirt. It was odd, seeing a normally dressed and crisped man in _jeans_. She giggled. Sesshomaru didn't comment as he led her to the outside hall, and then turned to lock the door. Together, they walked the wide decorated hallway down to the elevator. They were both leaned against the wall of the elevator, watching the numbers slowly tickle down to 1, when Rin had the sudden urge to hold Sesshomaru's hand.

She eyed it, and then decided instantly that she would love to his have his strong and dangerously tipped fingers wrapped around her fail and weak ones. Her eyes shyly observed the side of his smooth face, while her left hand inched forward.

A few painful seconds later, she softly slid her palm over his. Amber eyes peered at her without him turning his head, and he made no expression of benignity at her action. He did, however, tighten his hold on her hand and intertwined their fingers.

Now a big and probably stupid looking grin took over Rin's face.

She, Rin, currently lowest of the nonentity, was holding hands with her very important and rich boss.

_Scoreeeeeeeeeeeee! _

The lobby was empty, save for a man sipping steamy Joe and leaning against the front desk counter. He nodded towards them. Sesshomaru returned the gesture, and then pulled her along through the revolving doors.

He was just helping her into the huge car, she guessed it to be an escalade, when he muttered a comment that made her body want to succumb to limpness.

"You look beautiful, by the way."

Smoothing out the dress on her legs, Rin smiled.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru."

"hn"

The world slowly came alive as they drove towards the airport. Sesshomaru had both of their windows slight cracked, and the wind sent their hair into a tousle of troublesome tangles. As the car sped down the highway, Rin couldn't help but to feel as is she had stepped out of her old life, and into a brand new one.

The burning of her apartment was almost…_good_. It was as if she had been cleansed. Going down the seemingly endless road with Sesshomaru, it seemed like it symbolic of a new and promising life.

Yet…

There was a certain awkwardness between her and Sesshomaru. Not a negative one, but the one a freshly new couple had, where neither really wanted to assume too much about the other's feelings. Only, their situation was special. Almost backwards; they had already had sex. Even though she had only known Sesshomaru for a little more than three weeks, he had already found a secure spot in her emotions.

She wanted more; she wanted to learn about his life, his likes, his dislikes, etc. Never had she felt such an intense attraction to someone relatively new to her life, even in her wild college days. And even though it was obvious he had interests in her, Rin wasn't entirely certain on how deep those interests lied.

She wanted to ask him, but how? How do you ask someone that without sounding childish and young? His actions weren't entirely clear; they satisfied her only for a moment, and then her mind went into overdrive and forced her body to want more signs of affection.

Now, she wouldn't be satisfied with occasional kisses and hugs. She wanted to hear him say it, something, _anything_, about what they were doing. None of it seemed realistic without words to authenticate it.

Her eyes studied his cool façade, and she wondered if he was silently thinking the same things.

No, I told him.

_"So why did you give yourself to me?"_

_There was a long pause, and Rin pondered the answer to the question herself. Finally, after some consideration, she began to speak._

_"You sounded like you were in so much pain, and I wanted to help you…plus I…"_

_He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her final reply._

_"I hoped that if I did, you would…I don't know, want me. It was stupid, I know…" _

Her cheeks burned at the memory. She silently berated herself for being so open. As more and more uncertainty settled in her mind, the more she desperately wanted to ask.

They arrived at the airport some time later, and Rin pulled her suitcase and carry on after a quickly moving Sesshomaru. She could tell he was use to doing trips like these alone. He was so far ahead of her she had to call out to him.

He paused instantly, and waited until she, now tired, caught up. To Rin's surprise, his free hand grabbed for hers, and they walked together to check in.

After going through security and handing over their passports (she had been fortunate enough to have picked up a new passport a week before the fire and kept it in her purse non-purposely) they stopped to get something to eat.

Rin happily munched on a cream cheese bagel; she and Sesshomaru were sitting down near their departure gate. His face was pinched into a frown as he talked on the phone, and then he hung up.

"Who was that?"

Sesshomaru ran a hand through his unnatural colored hair.

"My father."

Judging his tone, Rin decided to drop the conversation topic.

"Have you been to Italy before?"

"A few times, stick business however."

His hand sought hers out again, and he seemed to go into a deep evaluation of the slender fingers. He fingered her class ring thoughtfully; a smirk lifted his stoic face.

"You're into music?"

Excitement burst through her veins. He wanted to know about her.

"I play the piano; I started in middle school, but I was never really good until college. There was this huge music room with this beautiful oak wood piano. I remember going there to play during any free time I had."

Sesshomaru, seemingly intrigued, watched her carefully.

"I'll have to hear you play then, one day."

Rin nodded, a smile stretched her lips. The flight attendants at the terminal called for people to start boarding. Rin almost snatched up one of the little blue eyed and blonde hair hussies when her eyes lingered on Sesshomaru too long.

Embarrassment overtook her, however, when Sesshomaru gave her an amused look. She bowed her head, and walked with him onto the platform that lead to the plane.

Rin took one look at first class, and her eyes almost popped out of her skull.

She instantly became a very sybarite woman.

Sesshomaru watched her silently, and Rin was certain he was mentally laughing at her reaction to the rich and utterly comfortably atmosphere of first class.

They took their seats; Sesshomaru had a window seat chair while she opted for the chair more in the middle aisle. An attendant came in then, and proceeded to demonstrate all of the boring safety procedures no one would remember in the terror of a true emergency.

After that, they strapped in, and awaited the take off of the plane.

_**V **_

Sesshomaru was typing up a document on his laptop when a slender figure perched it's self on the edge of his reclined seat. Looking up, he found what looked like a nearly bored to death Rin. Her excitement of what flying first class has to offer died off nearly two hours ago, and now she was milling around and looking for something to do. He sighed, and closed his laptop. Ignoring the few stares on the two, Sesshomaru effortlessly slid the small girl into the side of his chair, near the window. He turned his body so he was lying on his side, watching her.

She was so out of it, the new intimate setting hardly roused her senses. He was suddenly reminded of the morning in his loft, when he had almost had his way with the woman in front of him, a second time. Where the strength to stop came from, he did not know. He was relieved all the same that he had not proceeded further.

When she had jumped on him and her scent and body warmth became too much to handle, his inner demon had wanted to do nothing but finish the process it started –claiming her. He had toppled them over, clearly intending to do just that.

He would have had his way, then seized his breast and bite into it, thus finishing the mating process before it had really begun. But sense had eased itself it to his mind, and he had pried his self from her the second it caught hold of his mind.

He was aware that, because of his actions, Rin may have gotten confused about their status. To be honest, Sesshomaru his self was not even sure of what was going on. The subject of his thoughts broke him from his reverie. Emerald eyes blinked up at him.

"Tell me about what you were writing."

Sesshomaru frowned.

"It was just some business proposals."

Rin smiled at him; a knowing glint shined through her eyes.

"No it wasn't. What do you write about?"

Sesshomaru was, momentarily, at a lost for words. This girl was seeing right through him, and he had no idea how she did it. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Absentmindedly, a clawed finger traced her jawline.

"Expression."

"Expression?"

She was pressing him, and she wasn't going to let up until she knew something about him. At the coaxing of her warm personality, his carefully built shield was coming down in large pieces. Never had a woman affected him like this. Not even Kagura, whom at one point was his world.

"It's hard for me at times to show much…emotion. So my therapist got me into the habit of writing them, instead."

Her eyes softened, and it was then that Sesshomaru realized he had given her more than he intended to.

"Was it because of Kagura?"

He hesitated, and then nodded slightly. Her eyes studied his neck for a moment, and then her fingers played with a tapered claw. For their relationship as a whole to be so…fresh, Rin acted very lax and comfortable in his presence. He wondered if that was an affect of taking her virginity.

"Sesshomaru, what are we?"

The question took him by surprised, even when he had long ago anticipated it. The way she was fighting and biting her lip during the drive to the airport has been signs of her wistful thoughts. Sesshomaru was amazed at the direction his life was heading.

He had wanted a new assistant, and instead got a new girlfriend.

_Girlfriend?_

The phase slightly unnerved him. He _**was**_ over Kagura, but the sting of her betrayal still lived on. Trust wasn't exactly what he could dish out right about now. But when he looked at Rin, those thoughts drifted away. She was slowly putting him into a different place, where betrayal didn't even exist and everything was always something to smile about.

Rin was just so… damn cherry!

Her positive outlook was, even in their short time together, starting to affect him. Not to mention her pretty face, addicting smile, curvy hips, and obvious intelligence. He was attracted to her, there was no doubt. So what was he holding back for?

"What would you like us to be?"

He let his question simmer in her mind, and beat down his conscious that was telling him that he was too stuck in the past to tell her what _he_ wanted.

What _did_ he want?

Nothing was clear anymore.

She licked her lips, and that smile was still there.

Hadn't her house just been burnt down by a man who was mentally psychotic and trying to kill her? Why was she so happy? The want to know was so intense, that Sesshomaru had to interrupt her silent thoughts.

"What makes you so happy, in the face of all the tragedy in your life?"

She seemed startled by his question; her hands smoothed out the dress he had personally picked out for her. Her answer, nonetheless, came swiftly.

"Tragedies don't define us. I could linger on the past, where I was cut and my apartment was burned, or I could live in the present and look forward to the future, where I'm on a plane to Italy with the man I would very much like to date…"

She said the last part thoughtfully, and to his surprise, did not break the eye contact he had made with her.

_Strong, beautiful, a fighter _

He let his hand cup her face, and used his thumb to caress her cheek softly.

_Amazing _

"I'm sorry, Rin."

Her eyes lost their light for a moment, and for the first time her smile twitched. So, only he could affect her optimism. A crazed man could attempt to rape her and destroy her things, yet only the thought of his rejection threatened the ever present grin.

In an act that surprised her, he captured her lips in a sweet yet short kiss. Her face played the expression of confusion.

"Because I'll have to fire you if my father finds out. Policy."

Her sudden laughter made him raise an eyebrow, but his chest shook with held in chuckles. She reached behind him to bury her fingers in his hair. Her eyes gleamed at his attempt of humor.

"I'd choose you over my job any day."

Sesshomaru gripped her hip and pulled her closer; ignoring the attendant who kept swinging by to make sure their sharing of the seat was purely "innocent".

"You didn't have a choice, anyway."

_**V **_

Red eyes flashed, and the owner's hands gripped a steering wheel in a white knuckle hold. A black closed toe heel pressed harder down on the gas pedal, and the already fast moving car accelerated ten more miles per hours.

The sound of a baby's cry reached her eyes, but she ignored it. Kagura was in a bad mood. The man she had run away with and married was a complete pig. Her stomach rolled with revulsion as his face appeared in her mind.

She had left her prosperous life with a rich and educated man; just to be suckered into one that lacked that and more. In the past year, Kagura had never gone through so many changes in her natural born life.

First, Jack had issues with finding a job (since Sesshomaru obviously fired him) so she had to get one herself. Kagura hated working. That was one of the chief reasons she had gotten with Sesshomaru; to avoid labor for the rest of her days.

Around that time she had the baby, whom she named Kai. Jack couldn't be bothered with raising a baby. Kagura could yell and scream and complain at him all day long, and he would continue to refuse to lift even one finger for the little boy.

She was reminded constantly, every time she put the key into the lock of their tattered apartment, that it was a huge mistake to leave Sesshomaru. The man, who had bought any and everything for her, catered to her every need and desire, and even looked forward to fatherhood.

Obviously unable to turn back, Kagura had to unfortunately move forward with her life; even if she had really went backwards.

But right now, she was fed up. Her life wasn't supposed to be soap opera material, where she was a struggling practically single mom who worked when ever possible to make ends meet. So naturally, she had to do something about it.

'Something' had flowed though her head, and then later emerged as murderous intent. And so she waited for Jack to get home from whatever he does while she was working, most likely cheating on her, and smiled big and warm like in his face.

He never saw it coming.

He took his last action, which included grabbing a beer and parking his butt onto the recliner, before being attacked. The crime scene was gruesome, and Kagura wasn't stupid. She gathered up some things, grabbed a crying Kai, and fled.

A few hours later, she was making her way down an empty stretch of highway. Her red eyes glanced at her rearview mirror at five second intervals in a paranoid frenzy. Kai screamed in the back seat.

"Shut up!"

The one year old only cried louder.

She took her eyes off the road for what felt like only a few seconds to glare nastily at her son, and the car jerked violently. Snapping her head back forward, Kagura frantically twisted the wheel. The car was already out of control; the speedometer's needle shook at the 90 miles per hour mark.

The woman slammed down on the brakes, only remembering too late to pump instead. The vehicle spun out of control, and into the wrong lane. There was a deafening screech when metal collided with the guardrails. Kagura screamed.

As the hood of the car crushed under the pressure of the crash, the steering wheel broke apart. They flipped; and Kagura's world went dark.

_**V **_

_Bang. Bang. Bang. _

Her head felt like it was about to explode. Kagura blinked, and looked around her. There was noise, and people talking. Suddenly a loud sawing noise she hadn't been aware of ceased, and there was a loud sound as her door was yanked away.

_Oh no_

"I've got her, get the baby!"

Red and blue lights illuminated the darkening road. A sudden pair of hands wound around her body, and heaved her out of the upside down weak age. She was in the air for a moment, still a little discombobulated. Her left arm throbbed painfully, as did her midsection and head.

Soft material met her backside, and a cover was pulled up to her chin. Some distance away, someone shouted that they needed some medical attention for a baby. A person loitering close commented on it being a damn shame.

The paramedic that soon came to check her injures had a dark, criticizing look in his eyes. Kagura ignored him though, and looked past him at the so done car. A group of people were surrounding something they had pulled out; medics were pushing through to save the baby.

She watched for a while, heart aching, until two uniformed officers stepped in front of her stretcher. The medic excused his self, and after a last vicious glance at her, walked away.

"Kagura, right?"

The first officer, a guy with dark eyes and darker hair, gazed at with a knowing look. She knew at that moment that she was going to prison.

"After this little stunt, your not only going to be charged with first degree murder, but also endangerment of a minor and conspiracy to murder."

Kagura didn't respond; she just started at the IV that protruded out of her arm.

Crying was heard.

"Do yourself a favor, and just give us one last piece of information"

When he didn't continue, Kagura looked up into his disgusted eyes; her pale face reflected back at her.

"What?" Her voice was hoarse and rough. Her head throbbed painfully.

"Who's the father of the baby, so that he can be placed with a more suitable guardian?"

A pair was slowly walking towards a second ambulance. A white stretcher was pulled behind them. The body that occupied it was small and limp, but Kagura could see the profile of her son clearly. At the last possible moment, he turned his little head and his round golden eyes blinked wearily in her direction.

The police were waiting.

Kagura's throat went dry.

"Takahashi"

**AHHHHHHHH! Surprise! What do you think about that? Lol, review =]-AF **


	8. Chapter 8

**=D Thanks to all you guys who reviewed! 112! OMG! I'm more than happy. On to the matter of what happened in the last chappy, judging for the reviews, there's a confusion with what exactly is going on. But, my lips are sealed! You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happened. So without further ado, here is your chapter =)-AF**

**Chapter 8-**

When Rin woke up, she didn't know how or when she had reached a comfy bed. Sluggishly, she wiped the sleep from her squinted eyes, and yawned rather loudly as she sat up. When she looked up to glance around the room, her memory replanted it's self into her brain.

Now she remembered stepping off of the plan, being pushed into a taxi, and gawking at the spectacular sights Rome had to offer. Their hotel, _Artemide Hotel_, was a big fancy place that was highly decorated in Italian art and had the friendliest staff she had ever seen. Sesshomaru and she had been ushered with big smiles up to their room, which was actually a huge suite, and their luggage had already been unpacked into the dressers.

So dazzled by the rich architect of the room and the beautiful view of the city that they had from the balcony, Rin induced her own sleepy tiredness faster than she would have liked. Sesshomaru had left shortly after they had arrived to take care of some business (they arrived mid-late afternoon), and she had found her way to her own room and to the huge bed that lay inside it.

Rin yawned again, and eyed that ancient looking clock that was on the ornate wall to her right. It was still early in the morning, eight thirty to be exact. She stretched her arms high into the air like a cat, and stumbled out of the bed to open her room door. Everything was quiet. She tip toed pass the huge sitting area, pass the big duplicate painting of Armando Romano's _Still Life_, passed the little eating table, and finally stopped at the other bedroom door.

The door in question was already slight cracked, and Rin took the liberty of slowly pushing the door open.

"Sess? You up?"

Slipping through the opening she made through the door, Rin approached the bed slowly; her eyes scanned the figure that laid in it. Sesshomaru was only partially underneath a thin white blanket, and the big comforter that had been on the bed was hanging off the edge. One of his hands was behind his head, and the other was resting against his bare chest.

His features were relaxed in sleep. Rin noticed with a small giggle that his clothes had been carelessly thrown on the plush carpeted floor. She slowly lowered herself onto the bed, slightly excited that this gorgeous man was her boyfriend. With a small smile, she crawled up to his side and ran her fingers over the ever present muscles of his stomach.

A light growl shook his chest than, and before Rin could respond, the hand that had been resting there took hold her fingers. She laughed when she caught sight of his glare.

"What time is it?"

His amber eyes blinked rapidly for a second, and refocused on her face.

"Eight thirty-something."

He verified with a glance at his wrist watch that was lying on the nightstand, and then ran both hands through his unruly hair.

"Did room service come yet?"

Frowning, Rin shrugged. As if right on cue, her stomach growled fiercely. Sesshomaru sat up then, and his gaze seemed to laugh at her for his mouth. They swept her small figure, lingering on the light swell of her breasts through the tight t-shirt she was wearing, and stopping on the little night shorts she had worn to bed.

His movements were fast; in a second's time she was being pulled and placed onto his lap, and the warmth of his breath was suddenly on her neck. Rin stayed perfectly still as she felt the light prink of his claws touch her still unhealed bite mark. A small gasp left her lips when a warm and wet sensation felt over the holes.

It was gone as soon as if came, and Rin couldn't help but to whine in response. When his head came back into sight, she attempted to touch the mark.

"When is it going to go away?"

As soon as she asked, his face darkened into a look of accusation.

"I thought you wanted my mark."

Rin just stared at him, confused and taken aback by this sudden mood change. She didn't even understand what he was talking about, his mark?

"What do you mean?"

The moment she asked, his aura changed once again. Now he looked almost mad, and it was confusing the heck out of her. What had she even done?

"Sess?"

One of his hands ran down the curve of her figure, and then stopped to play with the elastic of her shorts.

"Ignore what I said."

Frowning, Rin opened her mouth to question him further, but his free hand had grasped the back of her neck and pulled her into him. The kiss caught her off guard, and momentarily made her forget about his earlier remark.

When she finally pushed him away for a much needed breath of fresh air, he had her shorts slightly pulled down her bottom, exposing the top half of her lacy thong. Squealing, Rin jumped up from his lap and off of the bed. She pulled up her shorts, suddenly feeling a modesty that she should have been felt around a man she had practically just met.

On top of that, she was still interested in what he had been saying earlier. Perhaps her wound was more than just a bite.

"Let's not"

Sesshomaru, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed in a pair of sweats, gave her a dry look. He grabbed her hand before she could move further away, and pulled her back to him.

"Hn."

"Sess!"

His hands had found their way under her shirt, and they were moving up the length of her back. She twisted away from him, a move that had his annoyance displayed on his face. He growled her name sternly.

"Quit touching me!"

He stood up so suddenly that her demand turned into a small squeak, and all she could do was look up at his towering from. His hands now held her hips in a tight grip.

"What is your problem?"

Intimidated by his obvious control, Rin could barely keep eye contact.

"I don't think we should keep doing that, we just met and…"

His criticizing look cut her short, and she suddenly found herself in a tight situation. She really liked Sesshomaru, but their relationship was already confusing enough. They needed to slow down, and it just seemed inappropriate for them to be already engaging in regular sex.

"Rin, we met close to a month ago."

She shook her head, and licked her lips.

"Yes, but Sess I'm not completely ready to just do that."

"That didn't stop you a few days ago."

His comment boiled her blood, and she met his eyes with a poisonous look.

"That was a different situation, and you know it!"

He let go of her then, and gestured to her clothes.

"You don't want me to touch you, yet you get into my bed wearing _that_ to wake me up."

Rin opened her mouth to let loose a retort, but found she had none. He had a point, she was leading him on. Frustrated and angry that he had been able to pin the blame on her, she stepped back from him dramatically.

"What did you mean earlier? About the mark thing?"

He frowned, and walked around her to go into the bathroom. She followed after him closely.

"I told you to ignore that."

She jabbed him in his side when he cut on the shower.

"Tell me what you meant!"

"Rin, stop."

He moved around her again to get a towel from the bathroom closet. Rin folded her arms across her chest, and stood in front of the bathtub/shower defiantly. She didn't foresee it when Sesshomaru stepped up to her form swiftly, and leveled a mean look at her.

"Get the _fuck_ out."

Sesshomaru never seemed like the type to cuss. In fact, the bomb surprised her so much, that she jerked back in anticipation of a blow. Of course, she should have known that Sesshomaru would never hit a woman, but at the time his anger seemed pretty sufficient. She lost her balance, and after releasing a quick shriek, hit her head square on the bathtub's rim.

Everything seemed to slow down for her, except for the throbbing pain in the back of her head. She felt herself being touched and her name being called, but it was all hazy. Her vision returned after a few moments, and she could see Sesshomaru's face leaned in real close; his hand was massaging her head.

"I'm okay."

She sat up, pushing away his hand, and crawled a few feet before she felt her body being easily lifted up. Sesshomaru left the bathroom and sat her frame on the bed. He appeared concern, but Rin was more afraid of him at the moment then she was concerned about her head injury.

She slipped out of his grasp quickly, narrowed her eyes against the pain her head was going through, and closed Sesshomaru's bedroom door behind her before he could say anything.

_**V **_

Sesshomaru wanted so badly to punch every wall he was surrounded with, but instead he dug his claws into his palms. He was siting on his bed, a towel wrapped around his waist, thinking about what had gone down earlier between Rin and his self.

He should have understood what she was trying to say to him about his excessive touching, taking into account her human woman emotions. Yet he had become annoyed at her sudden change of thoughts, and had even cursed at her, which caused her to fall and hurt herself.

Sesshomaru _didn't_ curse.

He blamed it entirely on the fact that a woman whom he had marked was partially rejecting him. There was no other explanation to describe the weird and uncharacteristic feelings he felt for Rin, besides the mark.

He groaned, and stood to get dressed, now reminded of his not so subtle slip this morning. Now she would eventually find out the true meaning behind the mark on her neck.

_Great._

Dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button up shirt, Sesshomaru brushed his hair into a low ponytail and left the comfort of his room. Rin was sitting on one of the couches, eating a pastry and reading an Italian magazine. She was dressed in a pair of light capris and a red tank top. Her wet hair was piled onto the top of her head in a sloppy bun.

On the counter was an array of breakfast from room service, but Sesshomaru ignored it. Instead, he leaned over the couch were Rin was lazily flipping the pages of the magazine.

"Rin, I…"

"I want to go see the _Trevi Fountain_."

He stared at the magazine page she had held close to his face, and took in the sight of the beautiful fountain.

"Okay, let's go."

They left the hotel room and quickly took the elevator down to the first floor. The men at the front desk smiled warmly and one handed Rin a brochure of places to visit in Rome. She quickly became engrossed in it as the couple took their place on the crowded walkway.

"The fountain is only about half a mile away from here."

Rin nodded, but her attention stayed on the pamphlet. They turned the corner, and started walking down a long road called _Via delle Quattro Fontane. _The street was crowed; tourists of every national bumped and took pictures of everything in sight. Taxis drove up and down, and there were little shops everywhere.

The light and busy mood of the city managed to crack Rin out of her quiet shell. Sesshomaru watched as she ooo'ed and aww'ed at the richly designed buildings. A large sign that read "G" caught his attention, and he guided Rin towards the small shop.

Her eyes lit up.

"Is that ice cream?"

She watched as he paid and was handed a receipt. He in turn handed her the paper.

"It's called _gelateria, _it's healthier than ice cream. Go ahead and pick out a flavor"

She nodded, and disappeared into the throng of people. Sesshomaru followed after her, and watched as she pointed to one that was called _amarena_. The server scoped the substance, and then looked kindly at Rin.

"_Panna?" _

Not knowing any Italian, Rin scrunched her nose.

"Huh?"

Sesshomaru stepped in, and nodded to the lady. The server in turn laughed, and added a generous amount of whipped cream onto the ice cream. Rin thanked the woman and took her treat.

When they were back on the street, she looked up at him curiously.

"You know Italian?"

"Enough to understand and hold a conversation."

"Oh. Oh man, this is great!"

She smiled at him.

"You should have gotten some."

He took in her small happy face, and guilt began to fill his chest. He couldn't believe he had treated such an innocent woman as bad as he did. Leaning down, he quickly stole a kiss from her. When he retreated, there was a look of relief on her face.

Still, he noted a twinge of caution.

"Slowly, okay?"

Her voice was small, and they paused on the busy walkway to look at each other. Her ice cream was temporarily forgotten. She was waiting on his answer, and hoping it was what she needed to hear.

"Okay, _bella_."

A slow starting smile curved her lips, and she eyed him suspiciously.

"What does_ bella_ mean?"

He only let his arm fall around her shoulders, and ushered them forward. _Fontana De Trevi_ was fiercely crowded; Rin had gasped onto Sesshomaru's shirt as he bulldozed through the thick mass of people to a somewhat close spot.

At that point he just lifted her body onto his broad shoulders so she could see the masterpiece. The water was a light crystal blue, and the carved marble statues were incredibly precise. She snapped a few dozen pictures ecstatically.

"Rin, you're not going to have enough room for the other sites if you keep doing that."

She giggled, snapped one more picture, and waited patiently for her boyfriend to lower her back to the ground.

"It's so beautiful! Everything here is so amazing!"

Sesshomaru smiled small, and let her take his hand as they started fighting their way through the crowds again. They wandered the city then, stopping every now and then to gaze at the buildings or lively looking statues. Together they climbed the _Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti_, or the Spanish steps, and checked out the church sitting at the top.

Then Rin grabbed his arm and pointed towards an old looking sign.

"_Villa Borghese _Gardens"

She jumped excitedly, and started out in the direction of the entrance.

"Come one Sess!"

Inside of the gardens was amazing. They wandered through the _Piazza di Siena_ snapping pictures, and pointed to the large villas that were throughout. Rin and Sesshomaru both were impressed with the _Temple of Aesculapius,_ which was built on top of water. The flowers near the _Galleria Borghese_ were in full bloom and magnificent.

An hour or so later, the couple found their selves on the bridge in front of the Water clock in _Villa Borghese_.

Rin yawned, and reached up to play with a strand of Sesshomaru's hair. The demon in turn softly caressed her face.

"Rin, I…apologize for my behavior this morning. I shouldn't have said that to you."

She smiled at him, and stood on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek. His hand caught her chin, and brought her mouth back up to his.

*snap!*

Rin laughed and pulled away to gaze at the camera's screen.

"Isn't it cute?"

Without comment Sesshomaru pushed away the device when she put it into his line of vision, and then pulled her to him by her waist before seizing her lips once more.

_**V **_

The next day, Rin stayed in the hotel room for the majority of the day, since Sesshomaru had to go to the business seminars. This _was_ a business retreat after all. It was beneficial, because it gave her time to think. It made her positively giddy to recall their brief fiery argument, and then she would close her eyes to reimagine his constant kisses.

She had never felt so into a man before, and she was sure that Sesshomaru was not anyone's average. Rin signed, and bite into an apple she had been working on. It was nearly six, and Sesshomaru still hadn't returned. She was currently flipping through a cosmopolitan magazine, reading up on all of the dirty articles it had to offer.

Just as she was getting into an article about four of the best vibrators ever, the urge to pee sneaked up on her. Rin groaned, finished her sentence, and then jumped up to dash madly to her bedroom.

A few moments later, and Rin was happily washing her hands. She looked into the mirror and fixed her sloppy bun before adjusting her half shirt and jeans. She never heard a door opening or anything, so when she stepped back into the sitting room and saw Sesshomaru's head bent over to see what she had been reading in the magazine, an embarrassed blush heated her face.

Moving quickly, she leaned over the couch and snatched the book from under his gaze.

"So nosey!"

Her tone was playful, even as her boss gave her an amused look. She watched silently as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt.

"What did you do while I was gone?"

Rin shrugged, and threw the magazine into her room before turning to slouch onto the couch.

"Nothing interesting. I didn't want to go out to see things by myself."

Her eyes followed his back as he walked towards his room, where he disappeared inside but left the door open.

"Hungry? Do you want to go out to eat?"

Rin mused over his proposal, but quickly decided against it. She wanted to stay in a secluded environment so she could learn more about him.

"Na, I'm not into restaurants. But I would like to go to Naples for some pizza. Maybe tomorrow?"

"That's fine."

A few moments of silence passed over the suite, and Rin could hear people passing by in the hallway. Jumping up sporadically, she dashed into her room when an idea popped into her mind. Grasping a red box, she shyly stuck her head through Sesshomaru's doorway.

"Wanna play a game?"

He was leaning over a desk, typing something briskly on his laptop. He was also wearing no shirt. His silver hair fell over his bare back like a waterfall, and Rin wanted so bad to go get her camera to take a picture.

He didn't bother looking up.

"A game?"

"Yupp. It's called Force Answer."

His golden eyes met hers then, and without looking he shut his laptop. If he noticed her intense stare aimed at his shirtless body as he approached her, he didn't comment on it. Dangerously clawed hands gently took the box from her to analyze, and Rin happily bounced back onto a couch.

He followed after her shortly, and set the box onto the low table.

"I'm not much of a game person, Rin."

"Please Sesshy?"

Smiling innocently up at him, Rin opened the box and took out a series of cards. She waited until he reluctantly sat down to shuffle and hand him half of the deck.

"How do you play?"

"Just read the question on the card, and I have to answer it, no matter what. Same goes for you."

He nodded, and started looking through the cards. Rin got up to switch on the light, since it was getting dark outside, and then sat criss-crossed on the floor.

"I'll go first. Here's an easy one; what's your favorite color?"

Sesshomaru chuckled; the masculine sound sent shivers down Rin's spin. Now she was re-thinking her _slow_ demand, but she knew that it was for the best.

"Red. Favorite type of panties."

Rin's mouth widened into an O shape, but a smile formed around her surprise.

"No fair!"

Sesshomaru shrugged, giving her a smile that showed off his sharp fangs.

_Gods this man was so hot._

"Answer the question."

Rin crossed her arms and sniffed.

"Thongs, moving on."

She ignored his knowing look.

"Which do you prefer, breasts or ass?"

Her boyfriend's eyes were suddenly checking out her ample chest, and she glared playfully at him in return.

"Breasts. I don't care much for women with big asses."

Rin pretended to try to access her butt.

"I think I have a pretty good sized ass."

"I know. Do you own a vibrator?"

Blushing, Rin pointed an accusing finger at him.

"That card does not say that!"

"I believe it does, _bello_."

The woman narrowed her eyes, and stuck her tongue out at him.

"The answer is no anyway."

"But you'd _like_ to own one"

Assuming he was referring to the magazine article, Rin smiled as a witty remark formed in her head.

"Why would I need one when I can just use the cute doorman downstairs?"

Sesshomaru didn't find that too funny. He leaned back against the couch and watched her giggling form closely.

"My turn. Worst sexual experience ever."

His eyes studied the ceiling as he thought.

"Back when I was in college, there was this one girl who I had been dating for a few weeks. So I decided to have sex with her. We were in her dorm, because my roommate was home. I think it was an hour or so in, and her mother just flat out walked in."

Rin's eyes bulged, and she leaned against Sesshomaru's knee to get closer to him.

"Wow, did she try to kill you?"

He shook his head, almost grimacing.

"I wish. I've never seen anyone take their clothes off so fast, and she was like, old as hell. I ran down the hall screaming."

At this point, Rin was on the floor, laughing her ass off. A mental picture of a naked and semi-hard Sesshomaru running down a hall screaming like a little girl filled her brain, and it was truly hilarious.

Sesshomaru laughed a little his self.

"Alright, alright. It was traumatizing. Next question, let's see."

He shuffled through the stack of cards in his hand, and settled on one.

"Sexiest person you've ever seen."

A large smile took over Rin's face, and she pretended to melt dramatically.

"Johnny Depp duhhhhhhhhh!"

When Sesshomaru's mouth dropped open, a very _very _odd and funny action, Rin jumped on the couch next to him and beamed.

"Just playing, Sesshomaru Takahashi is purely god-like."

She purred his name into his ear, which earned a satisfied grow from her boss and boyfriend. He pulled her into his lap with strong arms, and trailed a line of kisses from her chin to her neck. Rin moaned, and struggled to ignore the tempting thoughts arising from within her. Her cards fell to the floor, but she had her own questions in mind.

"Favorite sex position?"

He paused his ministrations to rearrange them, so she was lying with her back on the couch and he was nestled between her legs. His head dipped back down to irritate her neck and ear.

"Missionary, I'm _always_ dominant."

His answer stirred a sensation between her legs, but Rin tried desperately to ignore it.

Slow, slow, _slow _

"What's your favorite thing about me?"

He pulled back to look at her, and brushed a few unruly strands of hair from her face.

"When you smile, and that dimple comes out."

He leaned down and kissed her cheek where it was present at the moment.

"Your optimism. Your strength…"

He stared at her for a long, long moment; she was breathing fast and her heart was pumping faster.

"You're a _very_ strong woman, Rin. I've never met a woman like you before."

His tone and facial expression radiated nothing but sincerity, and it filled Rin with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and happiness.

"Thank you, Sess."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drove his head back down so he would kiss her. Things were getting heavy after a moment. She sucked and played with his tongue while her highly sensitive skin told her his hands were not honoring their agreement.

She tilted her head to breath in air rapidly; the act caused Sesshomaru to become extremely interested in her ear. A shaky moan escaped her, and she quickly bit her bottom lip. An obvious and immediately known pressure was pressing against her thigh at this point, and Rin wiggled under Sesshomaru as a warning.

"Sess…"

He stopped and nodded in her neck, and for a few minuets they laid there breathing softly. Finally, He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. Rin blushed, but accepted his hand to pull her up.

"Come take a shower with me."

She hesitated, slightly surprised by his invitation. Her eyes fell onto the noticeable lump in his pants. One of his large hands found its way to the back of her neck, where he massaged it gently.

"Don't mind him. I promise not to have sex with you, if you're not ready for that."

She looked into his eyes, and touched his cheek softly. This man already made her feel so content.

"Okay."

_**V **_

"Which one do you want?"

Rin gazed at all of the pizza places they were passing in the jeep, and then frowned. They had wakened up in the same bed together after their steamy, and non-penetrating, shower together, with plans to drive to Naples.

Naples was about two hours away from where they were at in Rome, and it is said to be where pizza was invented. Of course, Rin being the psychotic pizza lover that she was, she just had to get a taste of the good stuff.

Her hand tightened its hold on Sesshomaru's as he drove with one hand down the small street.

"How about that one?"

She pointed to a small building that was relatively empty. A large sign on the outside read "_The Best Pizza in Naples_". Sesshomaru pulled over near the shop, and turned the car off. When he got out, he waited until Rin's hand was securely wrapped in his before starting off toward the place.

"Do you like pizza?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, and shook his head.

"Why not! It's sooooo good! You don't know what your missing Sess."

A short man with greasy looking hair was standing at the counter, smiling broadly.

"_Benvenuto,_ welcome! _Come posso aiutare?"_

Sesshomaru looked at Rin, who shrugged.

"What type of pizza do you want?"

"Doesn't matter, ask him what's good."

Sesshomaru turned back to the man.

"_Lei vuole sapere che cosa è la migliore pizza che avete?"_

"_Oh, la specialità della casa è deliziosa!"_

"What he say?"

"He said the house special is good. Is that what you want?"

Rin nodded, smiling.

"_Avremo che."_

"_Certamente. Tornare in venti minuti._"

"He said come back in twenty minutes.

Rin nodded, and leaned in close to him.

"How do you say thank you?"

"_Grazie_, _bella_"

Blushing, she turned back to the man.

"_Grazie!"_

He nodded, and went off to prepare the pizza. The couple walked outside, and found a bench a block down to sit on. The street here wasn't as nearly as busy as Rome, but a fair amount of tourist were walking about and snapping pictures. Naples was beautiful.

"Teach me some Italian Sess."

He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts today, which a v-neck white shirt. His hair was left out, and was blowing in the breeze.

"Abito che ti fa guardare molto attraente"

Rin giggled, and jabbed him in the shoulder playfully.

"What did you say?"

"That dress makes you look very appealing."

Smiling, Rin stood up and twirled away, making the baby blue sun dress twirl around her.

"_Grazie!"_

Sesshomaru smiled, and pulled her back down to sit with him.

"How do you say you're amazing?"

"_Sei incredibile"_

"Sesshomaru, _Sei incredibile_."

"_Grazie, bella."_

"Are you going to tell me what _bella_ means?"

"Hm? What's that?"

"Sess!"

He was grinning. Rin puffed up her cheeks, and slid down the bench away from him.

"I'm not going to kiss you until you tell me what it means!"

He looked at her calmly with a raised eyebrow, his famous _And I care why?_ Look.

"Sess!"

"Keep that up, and I'll call you _Drammatico Regina"_

"What's that mean?"

"Dramatic queen."

She gasped at him, and clutched her chest as if she was having a heart attack. Then, without saying anything, she turned away to stare out at the people moving up and down the street.

"Rin?"

When she didn't answer, Sesshomaru decided to use this situation to his advantage. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet case. Popping it open, he removed the expensive necklace gently. He came up behind Rin slowly, and then gently lowered the necklace down over her eyes and set it down on her neck.

Hair was pushed aside, and the chain was clasped together.

She gasped, and spun around to face him. The heart shaped and diamond crusted pendant was being closely inspected in her hand.

"Sess, it's beautiful!"

She looked up at him then; water brimmed in her eyes. A tear fell silently down her cheek. Sesshomaru gently brushed the tear away with his finger, and cupped her heart shaped face in his large hands.

"_Bella_, Rin. It's beautiful, like you."

_**V**_

_Bella_- Beautiful

**Well, hoped you guys enjoyed that chappy! Review please, until next time! =) -AF**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so I have FINALLY updated! And I caught up on reviewing all the stories I follow. I'm terrible sorry, but between my new job & finals & blah blah blah, I didn't have the creative juices necessary to kick out a good chapter. But now, I finally present you with chapter 8 =) I think there are only going to be 2-3 more chapters, but that's how I have it mapped out in my mind. Of course, nothing ever goes the way it's wanted to. This chappy's kinda short, but not too far from my regular chapter sizes. Anyways, please enjoy :) **

**Chapter 9-**

The clock read 3:35 a.m. Today was their last day in Italy; their flight was scheduled to leave around five. Rin stared up at the ceiling in her room before turning onto her side. This night she was restless. The reasons, however, eluded her. It had been a wonderfully romantic week with Sesshomaru. After Naples, they had continued to tour the beautiful city of Rome. Twice Sesshomaru had taken her to expensive Italian restaurants, where the food and atmosphere was incredible. Night after night they had stayed up talking, laughing, and watching corny romance movies (she had forced him to), and every time she had fallen asleep in his arms.

Smiling at the new memories, Rin rubbed her irritated neck absentmindedly. Perhaps she couldn't sleep because she didn't want their time together in Rome to come to an end just yet. Who would? She sat up, and threw the stray strands of her hair behind her shoulder. She had known Sesshomaru for hardly a month, so was it appropriate for her to be so… _obsessed_ with him?

Yes, that was the correct term. She could hardly eat and shower without his name creeping into her thoughts. She loved everything about him, and it warmed her heart as she quietly observed how he was changing. She didn't know who this Kagura chick was, but it was obvious even to her that she had messed Sesshomaru up bad. Before Kagura had come into his life, Rin would bet any type of money that Sesshomaru had been as social and warm as herself.

He was slowly warming back up, and she took great pride in the fact that she was responsible for it.

Yes.

It was okay that she was so head over heels for her boss. A giggle filled the silence of the room. What they were doing was highly unethical. The thought made her laugh some more. Who cared, she had met him outside of the workplace, and the faiths would have it that they worked together. For a moment, Rin contemplated leaving her lonely room for the company of her boyfriend's. A giddy feeling took over her body. She felt like a high school girl who was excited about nailing the guy she had liked for years.

Would he find it inappropriate?

The self asked question made her scoff. Sesshomaru was the last person who would be concerned about her _modesty_. He'd be all too excited to get her cloth-less…

She rubbed her neck again, frowning. That wasn't fair for her to say. He respected her expressed need to take their fast-paced relationship slower. The problem was, he may have not remembered their previous sexual endeavors, but she did. The memory had her stomach tingling, and her toes curling. She didn't really understand why she kept herself from getting what she truly wanted, but at the same time she couldn't find any reasons to justify allowing her self to get it.

She stood solidly to her premise that it was too early in their relationship to do such acts. After all, technically they had only been dating for not even a full week.

_What's wrong with me?_

No woman in their right mind would turn down the opportunity to have sex with Sesshomaru Takahashi. Even if they had just met him. Did that make her crazy?

"Man my neck hurts."

Slipping out of from beneath the sheets, Rin sleepily dragged her body to the bathroom. Her eyes immediately squinted against the harsh brightness of the light as it was flicked on, and she spent the first few moments trying to adjust.

When she did, her hands swept back her hair to expose her neck. Without realizing, she had failed to notice that her neck was going through some issues. It was beat red all around the not-so-healed-yet bite mark, and itched like crazy. Rin was so shocked, that at first all she did was stare crazily at it. Then she sprang into a fit of nearly hyperventilating breathing. Freaked out beyond logic, she quickly stumbled from her bathroom and threw open her bedroom door. It took her a grand total of five seconds to do the same to the room adjacent to hers.

Jumping into the bed, she frantically shook the sleeping form of Sesshomaru.

"Sess, look!"

He moaned something into the pillow, and turned his head to gaze sleepily at her.

"Hn?"

Urging him to sit up, Rin quickly craned her neck so he could see the red blotch on her skin. As soon as his gaze fell on the rash, Rin saw his amber eyes widen in surprise. He sat up, immediately placing a hand on her head and inspecting the area of concern.

"What did you do?"

His commanding tone made her cringle slightly away from his prying hands.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Hold still."

Not a second later she felt a warm muscle slide smoothly other her neck. The instant relief was enough to make Rin sigh. When he pulled away, she ran a finger over the moist skin.

"What happened?"

Sesshomaru spared her neck on last look before lying back on his side. His head remained propped up on his palm.

"I healed it."

"Oh."

She reached forward to grab a few strands of his mused hair, and used her fingers to comb through it.

"Sess?"

"Hm?"

"Can I…stay?"

He seemed confused about what she meant at first, but then an amused smile gently curved his mouth. His free hand grabbed her chin, and brought her lips down to meet his briefly. Rin giggled when she felt the pinch of his fangs.

"If that is what you want."

Smiling broadly, the young woman quickly snuggled up against his body. His arms wrapped around her waist immediately, and pulled her closer.

She should have known this would be a bad idea.

Her craving was growing now, and being pushed flat against the cause of her desire was not helping at all. Squeezing her legs tight together, Rin attempted to nonchalantly put some space between Sesshomaru and herself. Only Sesshomaru was not having it.

He turned her over so she was facing me, and raised an eyebrow when her eyes found his.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Embarrassed, she shook her head. Her boyfriend grunted, and shifted his body so he was lying on his back. A strong arm found its way around her then, and suddenly she found herself nestled in his side. Now she was exposed to that flawless chiseled chest that she loved so much. Her eyes traveled down and over the tightly packed muscles until it smoothed out and narrowed down.

Now she was staring at the rim of a pair of sweatpants.

_Decisions, decisions. _

Something was about to give, and Rin had to find a solution that didn't break her rule fast. Timidly, she peeked up at Sesshomaru. His eyes were closed. Feeling pressure induced boldness, she quickly decided that a little fun wouldn't hurt.

"Sess?"

Rising up, Rin pressed her face into the crook of his neck. His chest rumbled with a low growl, and she felt one of his hands touch the small of her back. She pulled back, only to frown when his eyes remained closed and his chest continued its gentle rise and fall.

Whining, Rin crossed her arms and glared at his sleeping form. The longer she stared at him, the softer her expression became. He was so beautiful. Leaning forward, Rin gently brushed a few stray strands from his cheek. He yawned, and one of his fangs peeked out for a moment.

She SO wanted a picture of this!

Contemplating, she studied the door before returning her gaze to Sesshomaru. Not wanting to risk leaving the room for too long, she quickly peered around the room for his camera. She found it in the bedside drawer.

Giggling, Rin snapped a few pictures of her adorable and snoozing boyfriend. She paused to place a soft kiss on his nose, and then slide her body back against his. Raising the camera screen to her face, she instantly became infatuated with the stolen images. With each picture her smile grew bigger.

Until…

She went an extra image back, and there was a snap shot of her self. She was wearing a pair of pink shorts and a white half shirt. Sunglasses shielded her eyes, but she wasn't looking at the camera. She then scrolled back once more, and there was another picture of her self. This time she was asleep on the couch with a light blanket drawn over her body. Blushing, Rin noted her horrible couch hair.

It was the third image that had the breath knocked from her chest. She was lying on Sesshomaru, and the two were on the couch. She, of course, was asleep. Still, Sesshomaru had taken a picture of them while kissing her on the temple.

Gently placing the camera back into the drawer, she eagerly pressed her body against Sesshomaru's side. One of his arms went under her and pulled her half way on top of him. Her hand wrapped around the necklace he have gifted her with a few days back.

She didn't know how he did it, but he had her heart already.

_I love you._

But of course, she was too afraid to say it out loud.

_**V**_

"Why hello, little miss. How was Italy?"

Rin looked up from her computer screen, surprised that Inutashio had entered her office so stealthily. A hesitant smile formed her red painted lips.

"Wonderful. Rome is a beautiful city, Mr. Takahashi."

"Indeed!"

He came around her desk, and much to Rin's surprise, sat right on the corner.

"How's my son treating you?"

Her first reaction was to grab her necklace, but Rin beat it down. Instead, she nonchalantly resumed typing up the document she had been working on.

"He is a compatible supervisor. We work together quite efficiently."

"Hn."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rin could see the super boss wasn't satisfied with her answer. He rose from his place on her deck, and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Well, if he ever gives you a hard time my office is on the 28th floor. I'll beat him down for you."

He winked at her, and Rin couldn't help but to blush. He sauntered out of her office then, sliding the door close behind him with a soft thud. She wasn't five minutes back into her work when the door slid open once more.

A slightly agitated looking Sesshomaru gestured to her phone.

"I'm stepping out to go to a meeting. Answer my calls, and there are more papers that need to be filed on my desk."

She nodded, and brushed her hair behind her ear. This week it was back to big, dark and thick curls.

"Something wrong, Sess?"

Standing up, she circled her desk to look up at him. He was dressed from head to toe in an ash gray suit; a blue pattern tie and white crisp shirt also underlined his attire. His hair was tied into a low ponytail. When he shook his head, Rin stood on her toes to peek him on his lips.

Her heart thudded rather loudly when he caught her hands, and prevented her from reaching him. Her surprise and confusion must have been evident in her expression, because he quickly kissed her forehead and chuckled.

"You're wearing lipstick, _bella_."

Touching a finger to her lips, Rin allowed herself to giggle. An image of Sesshomaru speaking to a full table of important business partners with red smeared all along his face did seem quite silly.

He pulled her close for a moment, and smothered her neck with kisses before pulling away and leaving her office. Watching his retreating back, Rin fell dramatically into her chair. This was a picture perfect life. She had the job, the boyfriend, a charming father-in-law…

Her last thought made her pause. Father-in-laws were for fiancés, not girlfriends. Pouting somewhat, the woman stood to file the stack of folders on her desk. Way before Sesshomaru was even a thought in her head, she had always fantasized about having a huge wedding. She wanted a seven tier cake, a show-stopping heaven sent white wedding dress, hundreds upon hundreds of guests, and more. Sliding the drawer shut, Rin swirled around as if she was dressed in white that very moment. Her pencil skirt restricted most of her obnoxious turns, but it was fun nonetheless.

Glancing at the clock, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Sesshomaru's desk looked as it always did: Off limits. She hadn't been in it's vicinity since that day when she had found that picture and embarrassed herself.

Stepping up to the ancient dark wood, she lightly slid her fingers across the top. The chair looked fit for a king it's self; Rin plopped down on it and instantly fell in love.

"Ahh yessss."

She leaned back, and folded her hands behind her head before completely relaxing her body. Twenty minutes rolled by, and the phone didn't go off once. Deciding that she could afford a quick power nap in the world's most comfortable chair, Rin allowed her self to doze off.

_**V**_

She wasn't sure how long she was out for, but the first thing she noticed when she came too was the sensation of fingers traveling lightly over her arm. A pair of warm lips pressed against her the column of her throat, causing her to smile broadly.

"Sess…"

Opening her eyes, Rin was more than surprised to be staring into a cold crystal gaze. Alarm rose within her immediately, and she involuntarily jerked away from his hands.

"That the fuck!"

Taro chuckled, and placed his hands on the arms of the chair before leaning in close.

"Surprise, surprise darling."

"What do you want!"

On the inside, Rin was burning with fear and anxiety. Here she was, alone and unable to call for help…How'd he even get in here anyway?

Taro pouted, and cocked his head to the side.

"What do I want? Oh, nothing to big. Actually, I came here to talk with Mr. Takahashi. I come into his office expecting to see him, and I find little Rinny taking a snooze behind his desk. Now, what do I make of this?"

Rin swung her leg up at her assailant, only to cry out when he quickly locked it between his own. He laughed before gripping her chin roughly with one hand. With the other he brought a knife up to her face; her whimper only made the sadistic grin on his face widen.

"Is that how you get your jobs, Rinny? Sleeping with the big boys?"

She spat in his face, an action that made Taro step away and slap her. The force of his hand pushed her out of the chair, and she landed on the carpeted floor with a weak groan. She wasn't there for a full minute when hands grabbed her arms and hoisted her back to her feet. Her back was shoved into a wall, and Taro held the knife to her neck once more.

He seemed like he was about to say something, but his mouth closed. Instead, Rin saw his eyes move to something on her neck. He lowered the knife then, and parted her collar from her skin with the cool blade. His sudden howl of laughter startled her so much, that she jumped and lost her balance.

He only pushed her down into the chair, glaring at her while laughing insanely.

"I see now! Not only did you sleep with him, but you some how managed to convince him to mark you!"

Rin watched Taro wearily; one of her hands reached up to shield the mark.

"What do you mean he marked me?"

Taro frowned at her, but he didn't get the chance to say anything. At that moment, the doors to the room opened. Everything seemed to freeze.

Rin and Taro together stared at the woman who was holding a bundle in her arms. She smiled small, and looked around the office.

"The receptionist said to wait for Mr. Takahashi in here. My name is Trist; I'm a social worker."

Before Rin could respond, Taro glided past the woman, and disappeared down the hall. She grimaced at the sight of his wink just before the doors floated shut. Gathering her bearings quickly, she offered the woman a shaky smile.

"Hello, my name is Rin. I'm Mr. Takahashi's executive assistant. Is there anything I can help you with? I'm not sure when he will be back exactly."

The lady walked up to the desk, and took a seat in one of the lounge chairs. The bundle in her arms shifted slightly.

"No, I have a um, 'special' deliver for him. This is quite odd; normally we don't proceed like this…"

"May I ask what you're referring to?"

Trist nodded, and moved so the bundle in her arms was visible to Rin. Frowning, Rin leaned forward in her chair. What she saw made her clasp a hand over her mouth tightly.

Small golden eyes blinked sleepily as the baby stretched. His expression brightened when he saw her; short chubby arms reached out and a high pitched squeal filled the air.

Trist frowned.

"Kai, quiet down now."

"Is that…who's baby is that?"

Trist looked down sadly at the baby she held in her arms.

"We know a woman named Kagura was the mother, but she's in prison now. She identified Sesshomaru Takahashi as the father. We can't run a paternity test until I speak with Sesshomaru, but with those eyes it'll be hard for him to deny this child."

_His child?_

Standing up, Rin came around the desk to get a closer look. Instead of feeling dread, a sense of excitement was slowly filling her body.

_So Kagura had lied to him. _

"May I hold him?"

The social worker smiled, and nodded before standing and offering her the squirming child. Once he was in her arms, he stopped moving and stared up at her in awe.

"His name is Kai."

Rin felt her heart speed up. In her arms was perhaps the most precious thing she had even seen. His hair, soft and white, made him undoubtedly Sesshomaru's. She smiled, and gently touched his nose with a finger. Kai quirked his little lips, and grabbed her finger with two mini fists.

If it was never clear to her if she wanted children or nor, it was crystal clear now. Just holding him made her want to do anything and everything for him. The entire incident with her vicious stalker even flew out of her mind as she continued to play with the baby.

Rin cooed, and giggled when he abandoned her finger for a curly loose section of hair.

"No no, baby, don't eat my hair."

Trist laughed, and was just offering her a binky when the office doors opened suddenly again. Rin looked up and froze; the small on her face instantly melted. Sesshomaru's eyes studied her face first, and when she bit her lip, his gaze lowered to Kai. He had been walking towards them, but as soon as he saw those identically hued eyes, he paused mid-step.

There was an unsettling silence then, and Kai even started crying. Not knowing what to do, Rin sent a worried look to Trist, who in turn turned towards Sesshomaru.

"Mr. Takahashi, I believe it's time you met your son."

**BAM! Who ends a chapter like that? IIIIIIII dooooooooooooooo =) please review, and tell me whatcha think. Or shoot me a message. Until next time (which hopefully will be soon) -AF **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 ;). Are you ready! I am, because some of you guys have the craziest predictions of what's going to happen next! Lol, but I'm not saying anything =) One must read to learn. What I will say, is that I only write happy endings 3 I must say, I had fun writing this chapter. Anyways, please enjoy!-AF**

**Chapter 10-**

"What?"

Sesshomaru stared at Trist in disbelief, before returning his critical gaze to Kai. Somehow, those suspicious eyes drifted up to Rin again. Said woman nodded slightly, but offered no other explanation.

"Mr. Takahashi, do you know a woman named Kagura?"

A looked of instant realization crossed his smooth features at the mention of Kagura's name. Rin wanted to comfort him, but stood rooted to her spot near the desk. She defiantly didn't want to put Kai in danger. Taking a weary breath, she fell slowly into the seat behind her.

"Yes."

His answer was short and curt, but Rin heard the distress that laced his speech.

"She had procession of Kai until recently. She is being charged with child abuse, among other things, and she won't be getting out of prison anytime soon."

The business man frowned, and crossed his arms neatly across his broad chest.

"Kai?"

This time Rin inched to the edge of her seat excitedly. She couldn't help the giddy feeling she felt whenever the baby was mentioned.

"Your baby, Sess. See?"

She angled Kai upwards so that his entire face was visible. Trist folded her hands, and secretly analyzed Sesshomaru's reaction to the baby. If all did not go well, she would have to take Kai to a home.

At first Sesshomaru remained were he was, but after a few moments of an intense staring contest between him and Kai, he gravitated closer.

"He…looks just like me."

Rin noted his softened voice, and looked at Kai herself.

"I think he's adorable."

Sesshomaru stopped right in front of her, and leaned down so that Kai was inches from his face.

"Adorable?"

Kai wasn't too intrigued by Sesshomaru at first, but as soon as that patterned tie came into reaching proximity, he gave a joyful squeal and latched onto it. Afraid he would respond negatively, Rin gently grabbed one of the baby's little arms.

"No Kai."

Sesshomaru frowned, and waited until Rin coaxed the baby's grip off of his tie. Straitening up, he turned to Trist.

"She lied to me. She told me that the baby wasn't mine."

Trist nodded, and gestured to Kai, who was currently kicking his legs.

"He's about a year and a month. I have a folder for you that has all of his information in it. That is, if you decide to keep him. We can do a paternity test if you'd like."

"No."

Sesshomaru glared at Trist, who looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

"I know he's mine. I can smell it. "

Kai mumbled something in gibberish, and then turned his head to look up at Rin. Rin in turn smiled broadly, and kissed him on his forehead; an action that caused the one year old to giggle excitedly. The exchange did not go unnoticed by Sesshomaru.

"So, Mr. Takahashi, what is your decision? Are you going to keep your son, or give him up?"

A heavy silence fell in the room, and Rin bit her lip. Trist shifted legs nervously. Even Kai sat quietly, as if he understood the seriousness of the decision that lay on the table.

Sesshomaru scoffed, "Of course I'm going to keep him."

_**V**_

"Sess?"

Rin studied Sesshomaru, who was so into his laptop that she wouldn't be surprised if he forgot she was there. They sat in one of the building's many conference rooms, only this one was considered small. Only ten seats circled the not-as-long-as-others oval table. They had moved to this room after Trist had left, because Sesshomaru wanted to speak with his father and brother.

So here she was, Kai fast asleep in her lap, and Sesshomaru driving her crazy that the constant click of his keyboard.

"Sess!"

He paused, and shot an agitated look her way.

"Yes Rin?"

She frowned at him, and turned her chair so she was facing him.

"Are you seriously doing work right now?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but it closed back. He knew she was right. She watched him mutter something under his breath as he closed the laptop, and pushed it aside. He stared at the polished table for a long time, until finally he seemed to gather the courage to look at her.

At that moment, Rin recalled the incident with Taro. Her lips itched to relay the story to Sesshomaru, but she bit her tongue. She didn't want to stress him out more than he already was right now. Besides, she was staying at his place, and she doubted Taro was bold enough to actually engage the powerful demon.

"Rin, I have to speak to you about…this."

Adjusting the baby in her lap, Rin cocked her head to the side; a rainfall of curls followed her. Sesshomaru reached out and gently tested the bounce of each curl before caressing her face.

"This? You mean Kai?"

He frowned, and shook his head.

"No. Well, yes. Rin, you don't need to be here."

Everything seemed to slow down for her. Was he sending her away? Did he want to go back to Kagura now that he knew he fathered a son with her? Trying her hardest to keep the hurt from her expression, Rin looked away from his steady gaze.

"You want me to leave?"

She mentally cursed. She had sounded so crushed, little a little kid who was refused a snack. Sesshomaru took one of her hands and intertwined their fingers.

"Rin, look at me."

When she turned back towards him, her eyes were full of unshed tears.

"I'm not saying I want you to leave. I'm saying this," He gestured to Kai, "is not your responsibility. You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to. I'll understand."

Rin blinked, and stared at her boyfriend as if he were crazy.

"Are you kidding me? Do I come off as that shallow? I'm not going to leave you because you found out you have a child, Sess. I don't want to be without you."

She squeezed his hand, and studied his apprehensive expression.

"Rin…"

"I'm staying. So shut up."

His jaw slackened in shock, but it quickly morphed into a small grin. Minding Kai, he seized her chin and brought her face closer to his.

"Who are you talking to, Ms. Kato?"

She only smiled before pressing her lips to his, eager to feel that natural sedative. A moan vibrated her chest when she felt his tongue run along her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to confront it with her own.

"Ahem."

Whipping her head around, Rin knew her face was quickly turning beat red. Tashio raised an eyebrow as he entered the room with Inuyasha in tow.

"Is this what you meant, Ms. Kato, when you said you and Sesshomaru are compatible?"

Inuyasha shook his head, chuckling.

"Well, that solves the whole marrying thing."

Sesshomaru glared at his father and half-brother as he adjusted his tie.

"That is not what I have called you two in here for…"

"Though we will have to discuss this situation soon, son. It is my understanding that you marked her."

Frowning, Rin let out an aggravated huff.

"Can someone please explain to me why I'm the one that's marked, yet I don't know what the hell it means?"

Everyone remained silent for a moment; Tashio looked at Sesshomaru in surprise. Sesshomaru rubbed his forehead in irritation.

"I will explain that later. Right now, we must talk about the child"

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, and clicked his pen repeatedly. Rin shot him a look, and he stopped.

"My…son."

On cue, Rin held up Kai so the two men could see him. Tashio did a double take, while Inuyasha jumped up from his seat and pointed at Kai as if he was an alien.

"What the fuck?"

"Inuyasha!"

Rin glared at him, and then cooed a now very awake and crying Kai. Tashio was the first to speak again.

"So Kagura lied about you not being the father."

It was more of a statement than a question, and Sesshomaru merely nodded. Everyone's eyes were on Kai. The one year old took turns looking at all of them in return. When he's eyes landed on Sesshomaru, he smiled excitedly. Rin grinned.

"Yes, look at daddy! You see your daddy?"

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and adverted his eyes from his son.

"Yes, she did. Apparently, she's in prison now. She told them that I was the father, and here we are now."

Inuyasha walked around the table to where Rin was sitting, and offered Kai a big grin.

"Hey little fella, I'm Uncle Yasha. Don't you look just like your father!"

Rin laughed when he hoisted Kai up from her lap, and watched as he held him high in the air. Sesshomaru balled his hands into fists.

"Inuyasha be careful!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but brought the child down to rest in his arms. He shot a suspicious grin at his brother.

"Aww, already protective, eh Sess?"

Before he could respond, Sesshomaru felt the sudden repetitious blows of his father's hand on his back.

"Congratulations son! You know, parenthood is a long and frustrating journey; I hope you're ready! And sweet Rin over here can probably teach you a few things."

Rin blushed, but quickly nodded her head in agreement.

One of Inuyasha's eye brows rose as he untangled his hair from Kai's grip.

"So, how are you taking him home?"

Both Sesshomaru and Rin looked at each other as the reality of that aspect dawned on them. It wasn't like a car seat was kept around just in case a baby popped into their lives.

"I'll go get a seat, I suppose. And afterwards Rin and I can go…pick up the things he needs."

Rin shrugged and accepted the child when Inuyasha offered him back.

"Okay, I'll wait in the lounge for you with Kai then."

Inuyasha and Inutashio took turns wishing Sesshomaru luck and kissing Kai on his forehead before filtering out of the room.

"I'll be back in ten."

Rin smiled and nodded, secretly loving the feeling of Kai clutching on to her while she kissed his daddy. She felt like, _mom._

_And it didn't feel wrong._

Grabbing her bag and closing the conference door behind them, Rin could not believe the number of stares the three were getting while walking down the hall. Some even dared to stop and gasp. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Rin knew that Sesshomaru was hearing everything. Yet, he was calm. In the elevator, he finally made the first contact with his son.

He touched his shirt and pulled down the hem. It wasn't the contact Rin was hoping for, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Who dressed you anyway?"

Sesshomaru asked his son as if the little boy could reply. Instead, he cocked his head to the side and reached for the elevator buttons.

"Hn."

Rin shook her head and laughed. Distracted, Kai began to clap his hands and laugh too. Sesshomaru watched the scene with a critical look.

"You're going to be a great mother… one day."

Rin tried her hardest not to display the emotions she was having on the inside, because if she did she would have been screaming happily at the top of her lungs until she died. Instead, she ran a hand through her mass of curls.

"You think?"

"Look at how Kai responds to you. He loves you."

Rin looked down at the baby boy, and caressed his head lovingly.

"I think I love him too."

Now it was Sesshomaru's turn to laugh.

"Already?"

The woman grinned and shrugged.

"I know, it must be a Takahashi thing."

_Damn. Did she really just say that? _

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment, but before he could say anything the _Bing _of the elevator sounded, and the doors flew open. Laughing nervously, Rin pushed the man out into the busy lobby with her free hand.

"Okay, go get the car seat. See you in ten."

He threw her a perplexed look over his shoulder, but nevertheless aimed his stride towards the main door.

"And you're going to explain this mark business when you get back too!"

His arm flew up in a common I'm-shrugging-off-what-you-just-said fashion, and in seconds he was gone through the front doors. Now she was left alone to suffer the intense stares and mutterings. Shifting Kai on her hip, Rin started a game of glaring viciously at anyone whose eyes lingered on him too long.

One man had the audacity to halt mid step when he spotted the pair, and he quickly changed his destination to where she was seated. As he moved closer, the scowl on her face melted away. It was the man who had interviewed her, Miroku.

"Why hello there, Ms. Kato. How are you enjoying your new job?"

It was obvious to Rin that he really wanted to ask a question regarding the baby in her lap, because he was staring right at him.

Shaking her head, she sighed.

"I don't know if Sesshomaru would want you to know…"

Miroku's gaze rotated to her, and a skeptical look took hold of his handsome features.

"Sesshomaru just happens to he my best friend, and I his. So, what's this all about?"

Raising an eyebrow, Rin tiled her head to the side.

"This is Kai, Sess's son."

For a moment, Miroku looked so stunned that Rin thought he was going to either bust out laughing or slap her silly. Speaking of slaps…

She softly touched her cheek, and winced. Since Miroku didn't comment on any bruising on her face, she assumed she still had some time until it revealed it's self.

"Wow, Kagura's such a bitch."

Throwing her hands over Kai's ear, Rin glared threateningly at Miroku. The man in turned held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, I've gotta run. But Tell Sess I said congrats okay? And Good luck. Both of you."

He winked at her, and before she could question him on what he meant, he floated away into the mass of bodies that littered the lobby. Everyone seemed to know something she didn't, and she was starting to suspect it had to do something with the bite mark on her neck.

She didn't mean to, but when someone touched her shoulder and she whipped her head around, she leveled that person with a nasty look. Sesshomaru frowned, and gestured for her to come with him.

"What's wrong?"

"You're keeping something from me."

Her boyfriend looked away then, and an exasperated look crossed his face. Nether said anything until they reached his sleek car. Rin wanted to laugh when she saw him struggle with getting both the baby and the seat secure, but instead took over and effectively strapped everything in with a straight face.

Sesshomaru mumbled a quick thanks, and they both got into the car. The first few minutes passed by in silence.

"So?"

"Hn?"

"Sesshomaru!"

"Okay."

He glanced over at her before refocusing on the road.

"The mark on your neck is, how can I say this. It's like a claim…"

"A claim? Of what?"

"I was trying to get to that."

"Continue then."

In the back, Kai was nodding off again.

"As you know, I'm a demon by nature. In my culture, we don't get married; we mate with our prospective partners. It's not something males choose, it's more like a…fate controlled matter. So…"

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Rin."

"Sorry."

Sesshomaru signed, and checked his blind spot before changing lanes.

"So when we had sex that night, I started the mating process with you. That's why the mark has yet to heal. It's my claim on you to warn other males to stay away."

Rin's eyes widened and she leaned in closer to the man driving the car.

"What?"

"I said…"

"No, I heard what you said. I mean what as in WHEN THE HELL WAS YOU GOING TO TELL ME?"

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru growled low in his throat.

"Watch your tone, woman. It's not something that is easily explained."

Sitting back in her seat, Rin pouted and crossed her arms. She didn't appreciate Sesshomaru getting all tough-toned on her.

"Sorry."

At first, he didn't respond. But when she attempted to touch the hand what rested on the shift, he gently intertwined their fingers.

"So, does that mean I'm like, made for you?"

She smiled at her cheesy joke, but Sesshomaru didn't take it that way at all. He brought her hand up and kissed it softly. She giggled, and her heart fluttered.

"So what did you mean by 'started the mating process?'"

"I marked you on your shoulder, which is the first mark. To complete the process, I have to do the same to one of your breasts."

Suddenly she was blushing madly. A small smile formed on her boyfriend's face when he noticed.

"Does that hurt?"

"Are you considering it?"

He pulled into a parking spot in the lot of a supermarket, and twisted his keys out of the ignition. The serious gaze he aimed at her made her look away. When she took too long to answer, he was kind enough to forget he asked. Truthfully, she didn't want to comprehend what all of this mating stuff entailed.

"I doubt it, in order for me to use the energy necessary to mate, we'd have to be intensely intimate."

At that statement he flashed her a lecherous grin before getting out of the car. Gasping, Rin quickly got out and jabbed him in his back while he was bent retrieving Kai. If she wasn't so wrapped up in his sexual comment and suggestive smile, she would have realized that he was actually holding his son for the first time.

"Define intensely intimate?"

Her tone was teasing.

"The average sex with a Takahashi. Right, Kai?"

Kai smiled, content with grabbing his father's hair. Rin could have fainted. Instead, she laughed hard.

"Virgin ears! What are you teaching your son so young?"

The two walked briskly to the end of the parking lot, and headed towards the automatic doors of the Wal-Mart. Much to Rin's satisfaction, Sesshomaru was being less and less avoidant in interacting with his son. He studied his fingers briefly, before sliding his palm over the little silver spikes of hair that adorned Kai's head.

"She cut his hair."

Rin peered over at Kai's head, and shrugged.

"Haircuts, they tend to happen."

"She knows how my family is."

Making an O with her mouth, Rin reached up to playfully pull on Sesshomaru's free tresses. The fact that he was being so nit picky with Kai already brought a huge smile to her face.

"He's full demon, right? Won't it grow back in no time?"

The business man paused, before glancing around the aisle they were in. Apparently, he never heard her question.

"What do we need? Formula or something?"

Fighting the laugh that threatened to take her over, Rin coughed subtly into her elbow.

"Sess, Kai is One. He's not a newborn. He eats regular food."

As if understand finally what the adults surrounding him were saying, Kai quickly pointed to a box of cereal.

"food!"

Both Rin and Sesshomaru frowned, and looked at the box together.

"Yes baby, its cereal."

Kai withdrew his finger for a moment to touch his spit covered chin, and he looked up at Rin as if questioning her intelligence.

"Serl?"

Sesshomaru chuckled, and Rin smiled.

"No, C-E-R-E-A-L."

At that, Kai shook his head rapidly, and resumed his pointing at the box.

"No, food!"

Looking at Sesshomaru, Rin gave him a defeated shrug.

"I tried."

Sesshomaru shook his head, an action which Kai mimicked.

"I take my good mother comment back."

Gasping, Rin punch her boss on his muscular arm.

"Jerk!"

They both laughed, but continued to wander through the store to collect the supplies they needed.

_**V**_

"Rin?"

….

"Rin!"

"I'm coming! Sheesh."

Walking into the second spare guest room or now Kai's room, Rin spotted Sesshomaru standing near the little toddler bed they had picked out. He was holding Kai extended away from him, with a wrinkle in his nose.

_Oh Brother._

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Sesshomaru shot her a look, but nodded his head towards Kai.

"I think he needs his diaper changed."

Rin rolled her eyes, and pointed towards the staked piles of diapers and wipes. In response, her boyfriend stared at her as if she was crazy. She sighed.

"Okay, I'll get the first few, but your going to have to learn how to change his diaper too Sess."

Sesshomaru scoffed, and tucked Kai under one of his arms. The boy laughed, and stretched out his arms and legs as if he were flying.

"Why can't he use the bathroom?"

"Sess, he has to learn to walk before he can be potty trained. I'm going to get you Babies for dummies."

Holding up a finger when he tried to reply, Rin promptly turned around and left the room. Moments later, he could hear the roar of water. When she came back into the room, she held her arms out for Kai. The one year old clutched onto her tightly, and his face twisted as he started crying.

"Aww, I know baby. I'm gonna get you all cleaned up."

Sesshomaru watched her leave again, and sighed in relief. He was safe from changing for at least a few more days. Walking out of the room, he glided smoothly past the living room and into the kitchen. Seeing that Rin had been interrupted while she was washing the dinner dishes, he rolled up his sleeves and started scrubbing.

When he finished and the dished were all lined neatly in the dish rack, he went to go see how Kai's bath was going. Pushing open Rin's cracked door, he made his way through the room, and peeked past the bathroom door.

Rin was sitting in the tub with Kai out in front of her as she washed him gently. A soft smile curved her lips when the child occasionally splashed in the water and laughed. Boldly, Sesshomaru pushed the door open wider and took a seat on the toilet. Rin paid him no mind; her only focus was on the squirming baby in her arms.

Sesshomaru couldn't contain the feeling of happiness that spread through him like wildfire. He finally felt _whole_. He had a family now; he wasn't sure how it happened or why such good fortune was award to him, but he was grateful. Rin handled Kai as if he was her own, and in a way, Sesshomaru knew that she would always treat him like her own biological child.

Frowning slightly, he thought of the two weeks he had left to mark her a second time. He was confident that he wanted to be with her, but he couldn't say the feeling was mutual. When he had asked her earlier if she was considering letting him mark her once more, she had looked away.

The thought of not having her by his side sent a sudden pain across his chest.

Yes, this was his fate given mate. He was positive of that now. Kai squealed, and attempted to drink the bathwater. Rin quickly pulled him up though, and playfully wiggled a finger in his face as reprimand.

Chuckling as the scene unfolded before him, he knew he would love them for as long as his heart beat.

**Well, that's the end of chapter 10! What did you think? I personally think that Kai is super cute! Anyways lol, please review, and until next time! BTW two more chappys, chapter 11 & epilogue =)-AF**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow, we're almost to the end guys. This is defiantly going to be a chapter you guys love. Thanks for all of the support you guys have given me throughout this story, even when it took me sooooo long to update sometime. S/N: Taro is NOT Rin's ex boyfriend. He is a man who she met in college and never dated, despite his pesky insistence. I noticed a lot of you guys were calling him her ex, lol. Also, I'm looking for someone to help me out & basically re-edit this entire story when it's finished, to clean up all of the spelling mistakes. If you're interested, please shoot me a PM ;) Anyways, enjoy the second to last chapter of **_**Corporate Takedown**_** =)-AF**

**Chapter 11- **

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump…_

Rin exhaled slowly, and rested her elbows on her knees while dragging her fingers through her hair. Hazel eyes nervously glanced up at the clock that decorated the bathroom. 30 more seconds…

The soft pitter patter of feet reached her ears, and not a moment later Kai shuffled awkwardly into the bathroom. In his hand was a paper with bright red scribble marks.

"Look, look."

15 more seconds…

"That's beautiful Kai, why don't you go draw me more things?"

He left the paper on the floor before turning and dashing back down the hall. A thump signified he fell, but Rin didn't pay much attention to it. He fell constantly ever since she had realized the baby, well… toddler could actually walk on Tuesday.

Now, it was Sunday, and Sesshomaru was out getting ice cream. She had lied and told him she had really wanted some, just to get him out of the flat for a few minuets. All she needed was five.

Now she needed none.

Biting her lip hard, Rin picked up the thin plastic strip with a shaking hand.

Her period was a week late.

And the test was positive.

It fell to the floor with a quiet clatter, but to Rin it sounded like a loud clash. Thinking back to the one incident she had with Sesshomaru, she moaned into her hands. She hadn't even thought to make sure he was wearing a condom. Somewhere in the apartment, she heard a door open and slam. Kai's happy squeal followed soon after.

_Shit._

Thinking quickly, she picked the test up and threw it in the trashcan. When it was still visible, she unrolled some toilet paper and threw it over top.

"Rin?"

Screaming, she whirled around and clutched her chest. Sesshomaru's eye brow rose and his amber eyes took on a suspicious hue as he looked beyond her.

"What are you doing?"

Pale arms encircled her boyfriend's low leg, and Kai's head peeked around. It had taken a short week for his silver stubs to reach his ears.

"Nothing, you just scared me."

When his eyes narrowed, Rin mentally cursed herself. She had forgotten he could scent each and every one of her emotions. He knew she was hiding something, and if the look on his face meant anything, he was slowly becoming agitated with her.

"Come."

He turned and left her room, and Rin knew better than to not do as he said when he was in a bad mood. She handed Kai some more sheets of printer paper, and then slowly dragged her feet all the way to Sesshomaru's room.

He was seated on the edge of his bed when she entered. Trying her hardest not to meet his eyes, she slumped down onto the floor near his leg, and buried her face into the fabric of his khakis. He didn't say anything, but in seconds she was hoisted up and sat in his lap. One of his hands ran soothingly up and down her back, while the other one rested on her head.

Relaxing her tense muscles, Rin took in his warm scent from the crook of his neck.

"Rin…"

"Sess?"

A man appeared at the door, and frowned at the scene before him.

"Ya'll could have at least closed the door, poor Kai."

Rin turned her head to see Inuyasha holding a resistant little boy. Sesshomaru nodded to him.

"Where are you taking him again?"

"Out to eat with the family. You sure you don't want to come?"

Two sets of amber eyes fell onto Rin, and she blushed before re-burying her face in Sesshomaru's neck.

"I'm not feeling too well…"

Her answer came out muffled, but she was sure the two men heard.

"Okay then, I'll bring Kai back later. Don't wait up, though. You know how mom likes to drag things out. I'll just put him in his room when I come back."

There was the sound of shoes hitting the soft carpet, and then the front door slammed shut. Sesshomaru shifted his body so he was further onto the bed, and a low grow vibrated throughout his chest. Allowing a small smile to curve her lips, Rin sighed happily when he let his back hit the bed. They sat there like that for a moment, and Rin was content to stay like that for the rest of the afternoon. However, it seemed nothing ever went her way. On her shoulder, she could feel the tip of his claws lightly drawing patterns on her skin.

"I'm sorry, Sess."

There was an extended silence, as if he knew what she was upset with, but she knew he didn't know anything.

"Why are you sorry Rin?"

His voice was low and steady, and Rin could detect a twinge of sadness; it was as if he was suspecting her to say she no longer wanted to be with him. She wrinkled her nose at that thought. He probably wouldn't be so opposed to the idea after she told him the news she had.

"I messed it all up."

Suddenly tears sprang into her eyes, and she struggled to keep them from spilling over.

"Sess, I'm sorry. I know you don't love me or anything-"

He growled violently then, and flipped their bodies so he was towering over her. His eyes were a darkened shade of gold.

"Have I not proved that you already mean more to me than any other person in my life, along with Kai?"

Looking into his fierce gaze, Rin couldn't help but to slowly break down beneath him.

"You haven't known me long enough to change your mind! This shouldn't have happened so early."

A pained expression crossed his face, and he rose up on his knees before moving to get up off the bed.

"If you don't want to be here Rin, I already told you that-"

"I'm pregnant!"

He froze, and whipped his head back to look at her. She was breathing hard with a tear streaked face, and refused to look up to gage his reaction. Only when a deep chuckle reached her ears did she finally look him in the eye. The humor of the situation was lost to her, and she actually found herself becoming angry.

"What's funny? I'm serious!"

Sesshomaru, still smiling, pushed her back onto the bed before returning to his position above her. Inside her chest, her heart was beating hard and erratically.

"You thought that I would change my mind about you, because you're _pregnant. _That is what's funny."

Seizing her hands, he slowly brought each arm above her head before securing them with one of his own. Rin was stunned to silence. An awed look transfixed her face.

"But, I thought-"

Her sentence was cut abruptly when a pair of lips was pressed firmly to her own. She blushed when she felt her boyfriend's free hand tug at the ties of her sweats. When he broke away from her, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"So you're not mad?"

He released her arms and cradled her face as if she was the most scared piece of treasure.

"No, _bella_. Besides, I've known."

Her eyes widened, and she brought up her upper body so it was resting on her elbows.

"You have? Since when?"

Then she slapped herself on her forehead, and fell back to the bed.

"You can probably smell it, right?"

Grinning some, Sesshomaru nodded before lowering his face to her stomach. There he placed light butterfly kisses on the smooth and flat surface.

"It's very faint, but there. Truthfully, I wasn't suspecting you were pupped, but the smell was completely separate from yours, and I assumed it was from being around me constantly."

Rising back up to her face, he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"I have something for you."

Pouting when he rose and slid out of the bed, Rin watched him quietly as he opened his closet door and disappeared inside.

"What is it?"

He re-emerged from the small room carrying a small box n his hand. His face took on an expression of pure seriousness as he sat in front of her and pulled her to a sitting position. Inside, Rin was swimming. Her brain was slowly closing around what Sesshomaru was about to do and it sent nervous and excited butterflies to her stomach.

"I'm prepared to ask you a simple question, Rin. But, you can't be afraid. You can't believe that I might change my mind about being with you, you can't be frightened to be the mother of the baby growing inside of you, and you can't be hesitant to call yourself Kai's_ mother_. More importantly, Rin-"

He grabbed her hand, and whipped gently at the tears that were sliding down her cheeks.

"You absolutely can not even _think_ that I don't love you. Because I do, Rin. _I love you_. And I want you to be with me until the world ends. Rin?"

Wiping frantically at her wet face, Rin let loose a cross between a cry and a laugh.

"Yes, Sesshomaru?"

"Will you do me the honor of being my mate, and wife?"

He opened the box, and Rin was mesmerized by the perfectly cut diamond that sat raised and surrounded by smaller gleaming diamonds; the band's length also sparkled with the precious stone. A sob caught in her throat when she looked back up at Sesshomaru, and one of her hands flew up to cover her gaping mouth. When her bearings finally returned to her, she nodded frantically.

"I-yes! Of course I will!"

If there was one thing in her life that she was going to remember until her death, it was going to be the way Sesshomaru's face completely lit up when he slid the band onto her ring finger. At that moment, she knew he had finally fully broken out of the restraints Kagura had caused. His kiss was demanding and crushing. Now she was pressed completely flat against the bed, and his body was firm against hers. She groaned, annoyed when he pulled away to tease her ear and neck.

"Sess…I love you."

The growl that rumbled his chest sent shivers down her spine, and a low moan escaped her when he grinded unexpectedly into her. She could feel his appendage awakening.

"Say it again, _bella_."

His voice was a hushed whisper in her ear, and it had her pooling between her legs.

"I love you, I love you, I love yo-ahhh!"

One of his hands had found their way inside her pants and between her legs. Breathing hard, Rin resisted the urge to grab onto his arm. At this point, she could feel his fully hardened member pressed tightly against her thigh. A quick shudder shook her body as her mind traveled ahead of them and recounted the first time he had been touching her like this.

Only this time, it was different. His eyes, albeit glazed over, were the normal amber hue they were suppose to be. He sat up from her, and suddenly she felt 50 degrees cooler. A whine had him smirking. Faster than she could keep up with, his hands wasted no time pulling her t-shirt over her head. When he became frustrated with her bra strap, a smooth swipe of his finger snapped the material in half.

She could defiantly tell Sesshomaru liked her breasts. He gazed at them at first with a hungry glare in his eyes, and then his hands gently rounded each mound delicately. His thumbs ran past her nipples fast at first, and then he seized both between his thumb and index fingers. The sudden arch of her back and breathy moan had a satisfied and smug look crossing his features. Rolling the hardening bubs between his fingers, he leaned in close to her ear and breathed hotly.

"Tell me now to stop, while I still can."

Shaking her head, Rin turned so her lips met his briefly.

"I don't want to stop. I want you, Sess. I want you so bad."

He sat up once more, only to expertly remove his shirt before leaning back down to take one of her breasts into his hungry mouth. His tongue flicked over her nipple teasingly, but at her pleading cries, he took it between his sharp fangs and sucked hard. He didn't relent his biting and sucking until the skin around was red, and then he switched to the other forgotten mound.

Gripping his shoulders, Rin moaned and arched her chest as far up as his strong hold would allow.

"Mmm, Sess."

He took one last lick, and then move down the length of her flat stomach. He trailed kissed down until he hit a barrier: her pants. With an irritated growl, he yanked the hem and her panties down to her knees, where she helpfully kicked them off. Grabbing the backs of her knees and widening the gap between her legs, Sesshomaru experimentally licked her pearl. Throwing her head back, Rin could hardly contain her moan of pleasure.

Sesshomaru separated her nether regions with his fingers, before mischievously sliding his warm muscle up her opening. Rin buried her hands in his hair and gripped as if she was falling. In actuality, she was climbing the wave of ecstasy. She was just about to beg him to stop playing, when she felt him plunge two fingers into her.

"Ahh, yesss!…"

He set to work licking and sucking her clit as his fingers pumped in and out of her at a surprising speed.

"Your so wet, Rin. And so damn tight."

His hot breath on her nub almost sent her over; she shuddered and attempted to press his face further between her legs.

"Mhmm, Sess don't stop!"

She groaned, angry when he pulled his fingers away and floated back up to her face. He kissed the frown from her lips.

"I can't wait much longer, _bella_."

As he said this, he took her hand and pressed it against the stiffness inside his pants. Smiling into their kiss, Rin fumbled for his zipper and quickly pulled it down; her eyes were glue to his crotch when he sat up to remove his pants and boxers.

His piece was as intimidating at the first time she had seen it. This time, however, she knew it was entirely possible. Grinning, she reached forward and wrapped one of her hands around the powerful tool before stroking its length. It was rigid, thick, long and soft all at the same time.

She wanted to spend more time on it, but Sesshomaru was impatient. He pushed her back down before lifting her legs to rest on his hips. Teasingly, he rubbed the crown of his member up and down her more than ready slit, which cause Rin to rock her hips in an attempt to get closer.

His hand reached down to steady himself, and she gasped when he slowly began to enter her. He slipped in easily enough, and once encompassed he grunted and buried his head into her neck.

"Fuck, it's so damn tight."

His voice was deep and raspy, and she could feel herself become even wetter. Eager for what she had denied herself for so long, Rin wiggled her hips and played with her fiancés pointed ear. He growled in response before pulling out and sliding back inside. His face lifted from her neck, and his solid gaze seemed to penetrate her soul.

She made herself look right into his powerful gaze as he started to move; his movements became faster, and her gasps for air became shorter apart. She could feel him fill up so much of her with each grind of his hips; it brought her to a point of completeness she had never experienced before.

"Ahh, so big!"

He grunted, a smirk adorning his face, and slammed into her particularly hard. She nearly screamed his name, and her fingers dug into the skin of his shoulders.

"You are mineeee."

His possessive growl mixed in with his quick and powerful thrusts were putting her on a fast track to exploding. He licked her breast, right above her erect nipple, and Rin moaned when she felt his fangs pinch the skin there.

A ball of pleasure was quickly building up in her stomach, and it threatened to take her over.

"Sess!"

"Come for me, _mateeeee_."

She could hardly breathe. The force of his hips was knocking the breath right out of her. Closing her eyes and biting down onto her bottom lip, Rin tightened her hold on her Sesshomaru's shoulders.

All it took was three more harsh pounds, and the tightness in her stomach shattered. Squeezing her legs tighter around Sesshomaru's hips, Rin felt herself convulse repeatedly around his pumping dick. She threw her head back, and clutched onto the man above her firmly.

"Fuck, Sess!"

A pinch on her breast was all she felt as Sesshomaru sank his teeth into the soft tissue, and a refreshed feeling washed over her. In the aftermath of her orgasm, she was feeling extremely giddy and relaxed. Sesshomaru didn't last too long after he marked her; he moaned right before she felt a burning sensation flood her passage. He gave a few more thrusts, and then slowly pulled out.

Breathing heavily, Rin lazily snaked her arms around his neck when he slumped down. Seeing that he was being careful he wouldn't crush her with his weight, she watched through half lidded eyes as he moved to her side. She didn't wait for him to drag her against him; with a sleepy yawn, Rin threw herself part way over his chest.

His hand settled on her back. He was long done catching his breath by the time she finally caught hers. Looking up at the demon, she playfully kissed the underside of his chin. Amused amber eyes studied her intently.

"Come here, _mate_."

Moaning in opposition, Rin laid her head flat on his chest, and shook her head. Of course, a few moments later one of his arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her up to his level. He licked the new mark clean before kissing her solidly on her temple.

"I love you, Sess."

"Hm?"

Shifting closer, she grinned.

"I love you."

"Hm?"

"Sess!"

Her fiancé gave a small grin in reply, but softly caressed her cheek when she pouted at him.

"I love you too, _bella_."

_**V**_

Groaning, Rin rolled over and attempted to escape the sunlight by burying her face into soft hair. When her tactic didn't work, she rolled away from Sesshomaru and hid beneath a pillow. A soft smile signified her victory, but it was short lived. Strong hands pulled her from her sanctuary and to a hardened body.

Opening her eyes to a squint, she observed the top of a silver head as she felt his tongue run over her new and improved mark. Small giggles left her when Sesshomaru, satisfied with his cleaning job, raised his head to softly kiss her on the chin.

"Good morning, _bella_."

Smiling, Rin twisted her head away to peer at her new engagement ring. A giddy feeling overtook her, and she looked back at Sesshomaru to share with him her excitement. His face, however, stopped any and all of her happy thoughts. He tilted his head to the side, and used on of his hands to guide her face back to the left. She swore her heart stopped when realization hit her. The make up that was covering her bruise must had been sweated or rubbed off the night before.

Now Sesshomaru could see the fading, yet still strong purple mark. She felt the back of his hand run lightly over the spot. When she didn't flinch, he growled.

"This was not recent."

He brought her face back to face him, and Rin busied her mind to come up with a lie quick.

"I fell, Sess."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked him lightly in distraction.

"Why did you hide it then?"

Keeping her emotions calm, she let her body fall back onto the bed; the cover slipped further down, and stopped right before the apex of her legs. The bait worked. Sesshomaru seemed to forget the question he posed to her, and yanked the sheet from her before settling over top of her.

_**V**_

A few hours later, Rin was sitting on a stool in front of the island in the huge kitchen, poking at the cereal she had poured for herself. Beside her in his high chair, Kai was making a mess with his own bowl. He picked up his spoon, and dropped it onto the floor. Rin shot him a glare, but the smile on his face made her laugh. She was currently wearing one of Sesshomaru's t-shirt, one plucked freshly from his drawer, and it billowed around her.

Seeing that both Kai and her self were finished, she slid off the stool and grabbed both dishes. The soreness between her legs reawakened, and she jokingly cursed Sesshomaru under her breath. The last round had been a far cry from the first; going from a gentle with some force mode to one that was much more…_intense_.

Laughing to herself, Rin set the dishes in the sink before running soppy water. In fact, her uncontained and constant screaming had woken Kai prematurely.

_I hope the neighbors know my name…_

Giggling at the silly song, she set the second bowl into the dish rack, and proceeded to wipe down the sink. Two arms slithered around her waist then, and pulled her back against a wall of muscle. He placed a small kiss on her shoulder, and another one on her neck.

"I'll be back sometime in the afternoon. Are you going to be fine?"

He twirled her around so that she could face him.

"I still don't understand why I can't go to work with you."

A small pout made her lips poke out.

"Rin, you can hardly walk."

She blushed, and wrapped her arms around his neck before looking up to kiss beneath his chin. She was so short compared to him.

"You can carry me all day."

A low growl erupted from her boyfriend, and he lifted her up effortlessly before resting her on the nearest counter.

"If I'm carrying you, it would be for an entirely _different_ reason."

Laughing, Rin playfully pushed his wander hands away.

"Hey, remember Kai? Besides, haven't you attempted to kill me enough times already?"

A smug smile formed on his lips, and he allowed her to secure the tie that hung around his neck.

"You surely didn't_ sound_ as if I was trying to kill you, dear Rin"

One of his clawed fingers pulled down the collar of her shirt, and he possessively licked her sore and marked breast again. She didn't want him to leave. Her arms wound around his neck, and a soft whisper in his ear begged him to stay. Sesshomaru merely kissed her, and promised to be back as soon as possible. He set her down on the floor, and traveled around the island to kiss his messy son.

"Be good for mom."

Then he was gone.

Sighing, Rin lifted the toddler from his seat and made her way to her room for the bath. As much as she loved Kai already, it was going to take her a while to become comfortable with calling herself Kai's mother. In her heart, she was beyond joyful that Sesshomaru had awarded her with the title. Yet, she still felt a sense of undeserving. It would take time. After a quick bath with Kai, she sat him in the living room before closing off the exit. Kai went straight for his toys while Rin settled down on the couch with a magazine.

It wasn't long before Kai became bored, and wandered other to Rin on shaky feet.

"Yes, baby?"

He unleashed an entire sentence of gibberish, and Rin couldn't contain the laugh that rushed through her mouth.

"Tell mommy what you want."

It slipped out without her even registering it, but the word felt so… _natural _on her tongue. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her stomach. Kai didn't respond, but he clutched the fabric of the couch in an attempt to lift his self up. Sitting up, she grabbed the boy under his arms before raising him up and setting him down beside her.

When she lay back down, he did the same. With one hand holding tightly onto her oversized t-shirt, the small boy slowly drifted off to sleep. Rin didn't know how long she sat there watching him softly breath, but soon she was drifting off herself.

She pulled the child closer to her before completely allowing sleep to overtake her.

_**V **_

Something was wrong.

Kai's body wasn't pressed up against her anymore. She couldn't move her arms; they were secured behind her back. At first, Rin laid there, dazed and confused. Slowly, she remembered where she was, and how she fell asleep on the couch.

So why couldn't see move now?

Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes.

Something was wrong.

"Kai?"

Looking around frantically, she jerked her arms forward. They were tied behind her back. She was on the floor in front of the couch; her back rested against it. So busy struggling to loosen her binds, Rin almost didn't notice the man sitting on the couch adjacent to her. Her movement instantly stopped, and a low cry traveled up her throat.

She couldn't escape this man. Taro, legs crossed, stared at her calmly. In hand he held a cup from which he sipped from delicately.

"I hope you don't mind. I was a bit thirsty."

Blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"Where the fuck is my baby you sick bastard!"

Taro cocked an eyebrow, and sat the cup down on the rug. His movements were slow and in control. He walked the few feet to where she was sitting, and came down on his heels.

"_Your_ baby?"

He smiled nastily, and Rin grimaced at his closeness.

"So, you think your just going to live the rest of your life with a rich fiancé-", he sneered at her engagement ring, "and an adorable baby boy whom you can call your own, happily ever after?"

Rin bowed her head down, praying that Kai was alright. Silent tears fell from her eyes and onto the carpet.

"Please."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Please tell me where he is."

She felt the burn of Taro's stare, before he stood up. A surprised squeak left her mouth when she too was pulled to her feet roughly by her arm. He pushed her in front of him, and together they walked down the hall. When she was in front of Kai's room, he reached from behind her to open the door.

Kai was sleeping peacefully on his bed. A deeply relieved sigh escaped her, and Rin nodded her head repeatedly. Taro quickly closed the door back, and after walking her back to the living room he threw her onto her original couch.

"Please, Taro. What do you want from me?"

Taro was pacing back and forth, and Rin hurriedly glanced at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. If she could stall Taro until Sesshomaru got there, she and Kai would be okay. The problem was, however, that she didn't know when her fiancé was going to show up.

"You know, Sesshomaru is going to be home any minute now. He'll kill you if your still here when he walks in."

She tried to sound as confident as possible, but the look on Taro's face told her that he didn't buy her story.

"Shut up and be quiet. I'm trying to think."

Leaping at the opportunity to confuse him, Rin sat herself more upright on the couch.

"Was what happened all those years ago that important? Do you really want to hurt me and my family?"

"I said shut up!"

In a mater of seconds, Rin went from feeling jitters to a super panicked state of mind. She was now looking into the end of a gun; Taro was breathing hard and his hand was shaking badly. She could see the safety was off. All he had to do was accidently slip and pull the trigger, and she'd be done.

She couldn't stop the wave of tears that crusaded down her face then. She moaned, terrified. One of the sleeves of her t-shirt fell down, exposing one creamy shoulder. Taro ran a hand through his short black hair.

"Your family? I wish I could say that. I don't have one, and I never will. So yes, I really do want to hurt you and your family!"

In the other room, a loud wail penetrated the walls. Breathing rapidly, Rin looked up at Taro pleadingly. He clutched his head with one hand, and kept the gun trained on her face with the other.

"Make that thing shut the fuck up!"

Crying, Rin glanced back between the hall and the dangerous gunman.

"I can't! You have to untie me!"

Taro wasn't listening. He backed up and glared at her.

"Shut it up, or I'll do it."

His voice was dark and serious, and Rin could see the crazy glint in his eyes. When she took too long to respond, he started in the direction of her baby's room. Screaming, Rin threw herself off the couch. In a sudden explosion of adrenaline, she slammed her body as hard as she could into Taro.

He cursed before he lost his balance, and his body went tumbling to the floor. The gun hit the wall and went off. Gritting her teeth, Rin rolled over and prepared to face him again. She felt weak and dizzy, and there was a stabbing pain in her shoulder, but she would give her all to keep Kai safe.

For once, luck was on her side. Just as Taro was staggering up to his feet, the front door flew open. Her body flooded with relief as Sesshomaru stepped through the opening and took in the situation. But even he was too late for what was about to happen next.

Taro had retrieved the gun, and after wiping his bloodied lip, he aimed it back at her. The only thing Rin saw before she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away, was the sight of Sesshomaru angrily tackling Taro. The gun went off a second time.

Not knowing whether of not she had been shot, Rin allowed her body to fall limply to the floor. A wave of sleepiness washed over her, and she was very tempted to give into it. Another gunshot brought her out of her drifting, and she blinked her eyes rapidly to see what had happened.

Sesshomaru was standing over Taro, and the gun was in his hand. A pained expression painted his face, but Rin watched as if was quickly replaced with a consuming anger. She winced when he unloaded the remaining bullets into Taro's limp body without batting an eye.

When he seemed content, he threw away the gun and looked at her. Using what remaining strength she had left, Rin offered him a small smile.

"Sess…"

Her voice was weak, and she started to let herself fall asleep. Sesshomaru's knees hit the floor, and he loomed over her.

"Rin, Rin stay awake. You've been shot twice."

She had been shot? Confused, Rin tried to recall pain, but she had no memory of it. Something wet hit her cheek, and then again a second time. Willing her eyes to open again, she saw that Sesshomaru's face was streaked with tears.

They ran down his cheek halfway before falling onto her face. He was talking, begging her to stay awake until the medics arrived. He pulled her up and cradled her head gently. She could feel that one of his hands was clutching onto her tightly.

"Its okay, Sess. I'm okay, it doesn't hurt."

She tried to reassure him; surely she couldn't die if she felt no pain, right? She was just tired. She'd wake up fine.

"Imma just take a nap, okay?"

"No, don't you dare Rin! Stay awake, you here me?"

But she wasn't listening. She smiled softly as she drifted off into a wonderful sleep.

_**V **_

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Talking, she heard a lot of talking. Whispering voices that chattered away, as if she wasn't trying to get any sleep. Who were these people anyway? It sounded like there were tons of them around, just talking. Crying, too. She could hear someone's soft wails from somewhere near by. For the first time, she realized that someone was very tightly holding her hand.

She didn't want to wake up yet, but she couldn't fall back to sleep with so much nose. Annoyed, Rin cracked one of her eyes open. A burry silver head was all she saw before she promptly closed her eye. Groaning, she attempted to wiggle her prisoner hand.

"Sess, your hurting me."

Suddenly, all of the talking in the room stopped. The crying person was now the only one making sounds. Opening her eyes completely this time, Rin took in all of the faces around her. She recognized Inuyasha, and then Miroku standing beside him. Then there was a woman with brown hair and grave eyes standing on the opposite side of Inuyasha. She remembered her face from Sesshomaru's pictures. She was Sess's step mother.

Inuyasha's wife, Kagome, was standing near by as well. She knew her from pictures as well. Her eyes kept searching, however, for the one that was crying. Hazel eyes stopped looking when they met with golden ones. Golden wet ones. Sesshomaru looked 100% horrible. His hair was in bad need of a comb, and the circles under his eyes made her wonder when the last time he slept was. At the moment, however, all of that didn't matter.

She couldn't believe the tears that made his face glisten, or the way his eyes searched hers endlessly. She couldn't help it. She started crying too. Her crying caused everyone else to cry. The room's silence was tarnished with the soft sniffling. Reaching up, she wiped at his face.

"Stop, your making me cry."

At that he let out a small joyful laugh, and rested his head on her chest.

"Mama?"

Sesshomaru raised his head, and looked down at the floor at something that was out of Rin's view. She watched, wiping her face, as he reached down and rose back up again. Kai's smiling face only made Rin burst out in more tears. Crying hard, she accepted the baby boy and hugged him tenderly.

"Mama,-"

He let out another string of mixed English, but Rin didn't care. He had called her mama. One of his little hands pointed at his dad, who was still squeezing the life out of her hand.

"Daddy cry and mama sheepin."

Sesshomaru ruffled the boy's hair, which Rin gaped at. It was caressing his shoulders now. She sent a panicked look Sesshomaru's way.

"You've been asleep for a week, Rin. After the surgery, you didn't wake up."

She could see the relief in his face and words, and she could feel his intense love through the brief kiss he shared with her. Nodding slowly, she clutched onto Kai and looked around at the other people of the room.

"Um, well this isn't exactly how I imagined meeting the family."

Everyone laughed, and Inuyasha rubbed her shoulder.

"Welcome back, Rin."

**I think this is one of the longest chapters of this story. I'm very satisfied with the way I executed his story, and I am very pleased that I as a writer can write a decent enough story that people actually read and liked. I can't wait to start my next story, which is going to be a fast paced, crazy, and hopefully likable fic. Only one more chapter left, until next time. Please review ;)-Af **


	12. Chapter 12

**_I'm very sad to announce that this is the end (*Tearrrrrssssss*) I always hate it when I'm ending one of my stories. I absolutely enjoyed writing this, and even though I'd love to make it never ending, it's time to move onto other projects. Speaking of which, it's called "Heart Therapy". Go to my page and check it out if you haven't already. If you loved Corporate Takedown, I'm sure you'll love this new idea ;) Especially since I now have a beta! Anyways, enjoy the epilogue of all happy endings. Until next time -AF_**

**_Epilogue-_**

_**Eight months later**_

He wasn't sure why he was doing this. His weary amber gaze stared straight down the bright and florescent hall. Every once in a while doors passed by, and every time they did, Sesshomaru hoped the guard beside him would tap his shoulder and gesture towards it. He spared the tall and equally built man a somber glance.

No, he knew why he was doing this. The longer he ignored it, the more it nagged at his soul. Not only his, but Rin's. He saw it in her eyes every time she started staring at Kai.

Kai…

What would he tell Kai when he found out that Rin wasn't his biological mother? For those reasons alone, he found himself in this insanely bright hall with a guard so stoic that it almost bothered even him. He wasn't nervous or worried; nor was he apprehensive or unsure. He was, however, curious. He was curious as to his ex-wife's motives and intentions since day one.

He didn't tell Rin that he was meeting with Kagura, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever would. It all depended on the answers he received, or didn't. A gruff noise from the man walking beside him called for his attention. The guard paused, and pointed towards the end of the hall. Glancing to the place the guard pointed, Sesshomaru took in the white door.

When he turned his head back around to question his escort, he found the man already striding swiftly back up the hall. Swallowing his objection, he headed towards the door.

He didn't know for how long he stood there, staring at the plain piece of wood in front of him. His gaze zeroed in on the fine marks that a paint brush left behind, and then the faint outline of fresh fingerprints on the dull bronze knob. He tried not to breathe, but her scent was detectable all the way down the hall. The sweet smell brought back unwanted memories, both good and bad.

Something seized hold of him, and in an odd impulsive move, he raised his left hand up to his face. The lightly designed gold-colored band brought his head back down to reality. Rin had given the cheap thing to him, uttering some nonsense about it being a promise ring. She had been infuriated when he had been dragged to a strip club with Miroku, and returned home with lipstick smearing cheeks.

_"You have to promise you'll stay true to me, okay?"_

_She rubbed her swollen belly while leveling him with a daring glare._

_"I promise."_

He wasn't here to reminisce about his previous relationship. Mind cleared, Sesshomaru let his hand touch the cool surface of the knob before turning it. The room inside was an instant contrast to the hall; the light above a pale gray table was dim, casting shadows off of the chairs and occupants. The walls were a dirty faded green, and the floor was dusty and dirt ridden.

Amongst the filth, Kagura sat as if she was a queen of some sort. She leaned fully back into a chair while her fingers intertwined and rested on the table before her. Her white prison uniform was dingy, but she kept her head held high and a condescending glint in her eyes.

The door clicked shut behind him. Watching the woman carefully, Sesshomaru ignored the chair meant for him and leaned against the furthest wall. With his arms crossed in front of his chest, he pinned the arrogant woman with a less than kind glare.

Her lips curved into a delicate smile.

"This is quite a surprise, Sesshomaru. I would have never expected you to walk through that door."

When he didn't respond, she fell back into silence, content while sweeping her eyes down his person. Feeling like she was intruding on something that was solely meant for his Rin, he let a harsh growl rip through his throat.

Red eyes snapped back up to his face instantly, but that sadistic and misplaced smile still remained.

"Tell me, how is my son? You know, they won't tell me anything about him."

"You have no right to inquire about _my son_, Kagura."

He seemed to hit a nerve. The smile vanished; her eyes sparkled with sudden anger.

"He's mine goddammit! I deserve to know how he is! I'm his mother; I'm the one who carried that baby for nine months!"

Sesshomaru continued to send her a dispassionate look.

"Why did you lie to me?"

She glared at him for a long moment, and then leaned back into her chair. With both hands, she dragged her fingers through her hair, before crossing them on the table once more. Her face, now void of any of her previous anger, took on a thoughtful look.

"Truthfully, I didn't know Kai was yours. I was sleeping around constantly, so I was sure the baby wouldn't be yours. I knew that once you found out, you would do something drastic, so I left."

Taking in her story with a stoic expression, Sesshomaru fought to bite back his slowly rising anger.

"And when he was born and it was obvious he was mine, why did you not contact me then?"

Kagura's shoulders lifted up, and fell back down in a shrug. She studied her nails for a moment before answering.

"I didn't know how you'd react. It was easier to keep it from you than to seek you out and risk confrontation."

"He's my son!"

Suddenly, a strong fist slammed down on the table, and Kagura jumped back from the unexpected bang. Her eyes met with Sesshomaru's, and he saw how she cringed away from him.

"You had no right."

His voice was suddenly a hardly audible whisper; his hands slid off the table and fell limply at his sides. Warm blood trickled down each of his fingers. Kagura was staring at the wounds with a dazed expression on her face.

"What do you want from me, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru stared at her intently. His eyes drifted shut for a brief moment, before he returned a piercing amber gaze at his ex-fiancé. The question took him aback. What did he want? What was it that he thought he would gain from seeing Kagura again?

The answer presented its self almost instantly in his mind. It seemed so…_ simple_. The reason why Rin was so weary was because he himself couldn't give her the answer to her unasked question. It was an answer he couldn't have given her prior to this visit.

He almost didn't want to know. Yet, he knew that as long as he was confused, Kagura would reign over him like a dark shadow.

His jaw set.

"Did you love me?"

Kagura's eyes met him then, and she watched him carefully. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, and her intertwined fingers tightened its grip.

"At one point, I thought I did."

She opened her eyes again, and licked her lips quickly.

"But we were never meant to be together. Think about it, did you ever love me? Or did you love the _idea _of loving me?"

Hardening his gaze, Sesshomaru studied his bloodied hands to keep from looking at her.

"No, I loved yo—"

"No!"

Now it was Kagura's turn to slap her hands angrily against the table. When his head snapped up, she glared angrily at him.

"You're wrong. You think you know everything about yourself don't you?"

She sat up, and her chair groaned in protest as it was pushed backwards. With a light laugh, she shook her head and walked around the table. When her hand touched the door knob, she looked back at him with a sad frown.

"Blame my cheating on our failed relationship all you want, Sesshomaru. But eventually, you're going to have to take responsibility for the part you played in it."

Frowning, Sesshomaru opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly stopped him with a wave of her finger. With a small smile, she waited as uniformed guards came through the doors and handcuffed her.

"I didn't love you, and you didn't love me. Sesshomaru, don't make her suffer for what happened in the past."

And before Sesshomaru could question her, she was whisked through the door way and down the glowing hall. He growled, pulling his hair before leaving the small room behind. His walking accelerated into jogging, and soon he was running down the hall. He had to get home. He had to tell her.

Kagura was right. He hadn't loved her, and that was why she stepped out of their marriage. When she left, he had somehow convinced himself that he sorrowed for his almost wife, yet he had truly been grieving for what almost was the American dream model family.

She was right.

Damn.

How did Rin feel when she looked into his eyes, and saw nothing? How did she feel when she knew he was deliberately holding something back from her? She stared at Kai because she knew he would be a constant reminder to him of what had happened before. She feared. It wasn't weariness in her face, it was apprehension.

And the closer she got to the ninth month, the more her belly swelled and grew, the more he purposefully spent more hours in the office, the more his own apprehension grew.

Kagura was right. There was no comparison in his past and present relationships.

He had to find her. Anxiety gripped his heart. He had to tell her the answer.

He found her in their room; sitting in a chair he had brought for her that was specifically designed to be comfortable for a pregnant woman. In her hands was a bowl of what looked like ice cream. She lifted the spoon with her delicate fingers and gracefully cupped the metal with her lips. When she saw him, a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

Balancing the bowl on her stomach, she rubbed below her belly button.

"She's been kicking all day."

He knew she was waiting for him to reassure her it was a boy, but casted it aside in his mind. He kneeled before her, and gently paced a kiss on his unborn child.

"I saw her, today."

The smile on her face faded, and she slowly dragged her free hand through some of his silver hair.

"And?"

"I realized something."

He looked up at his fiancé, letting a playful grin seize him. She returned his gaze hesitantly; she dipped her spoon back down to play in the soft dessert. After a moment of silence, she sighed.

"How was it, Sesshomaru?"

It broke his heart to hear in her dejected sigh that he had destroyed so much of her hope already. Breaking their eye contact, he pressed the side of his cheek into the warmth of her belly.

"You are Rin."

She yanked his head up so he could see her, and the glare he got was venomous.

"Sessh—"

"And not Kagura."

She paused, and releases his face. Suspicious hazel eyes studied him closely. Sesshomaru wrapped a hand around her neck, and pulled her lips down to meet his.

"I found myself back into the same situation as before. Engaged to a woman who was pregnant with my child. I…I'm sorry I didn't trust you earlier, Rin. I had doubts—"

"Shhhhhh."

She brought a slender finger to his lips and smiled brightly. The sight of it sped up the rhythm of his heart.

"You're right. I'm Rin, not Kagura, and I _love_ you. I. Won't. Leave. You. Got it?" She kissed him lightly, and then ruffled his hair before leaning back into her chair.

"Okay, now can you go get me some ketchup?"

Rising to his feet, Sesshomaru frowned at her while he unbuttoned his tie.

"For what?"

The woman glanced down at her ice cream, and then quickly looked back at her fiancé.

"Why are you asking some many damn questions?"

Grinning, Sesshomaru dodged a flying pillow and retreated from the room to avoid Rin's hormonal wrath. Shaking his head, he chuckled quietly to himself while walking towards the kitchen.

_**V**_

"Where are we goinggggggggggggggg"

Sesshomaru sighed and grumbled under his breath. Rin was driving him insane. She was propped up in the passenger seat of his car, not wearing a seat belt much to his displeasure, and moaning about boredom every five minutes.

Even the damn child was sleeping quietly in his car seat in the backseat. It was quickly making him lose excitement over his original plans. They had been in the car for less than an hour, and she was really starting to piss him off.

"Rin."

His growl stopped her mid-whine, and he saw through his peripherals that she was pouting at him. One of her hands rubbed her swollen belly distressfully.

"Sess, I can't do things like this. I don't know when the last time you carried a baby was, but FYI it hurts to be in the car too long!"

She huffed, and crossed her arms, refusing to look his way. Feeling slightly bad but not enough to tell her his destination, Sesshomaru only offered her stomach a comforting rub. She ignored him, but he knew she wouldn't be cross with him too long. Ten minutes later, he made a right turn into a development.

They drove by some of the hugest houses he was positive Rin had never seen before. She gasped, and gaped at them. One of her fingers bent against the passenger window, and she reached over with her other hand to pull lightly on his hand that was resting on the middle console.

"Look at these houses! They are beautiful!"

Chuckling, Sesshomaru brought her hand to his lips.

"Would you want to live in one of these houses?"

His fiancé turned a set of gleaming eyes on him. The huge smile on her face was priceless. Over the months, she had learned to give up her shyness towards him buying expensive items for her. Now, she gleefully accepted anything her money endowed man bought for her.

"I would love too! I wonder what the inside of these places look like!"

By the time her statement ended, Sesshomaru was parking in a driveway. He leaned forward, and captured her lips in a kiss before gesturing to the home before them.

"Then go look."

He was reminded of when he first met Rin, sober, and how she had changed emotions so quickly in front of him. She went through shock, denial, and paralyzing joy all in the same minute. After that, he was sure he had never seen a pregnant woman move so fast. She was gone, car and front door left shaking in her wake.

He was bending into the backseat to retrieve his son when he heard a very loud and alerting scream. The shock of it caused him to shoot his head up and crash it against the roof of the car. Growling in pain, he quickly unlatched Kai before slamming the door shut in pain induced anger.

When he finally stepped foot in the house, he sighed. Rin was still in the foyer, gaping at the huge chandelier that hung from the raised ceiling.

"Sess! Look at this thing!"

She danced up to him, and gave a more than generous kiss. Anger suddenly gone, Sesshomaru licked his lips and pulled her back to him. Sesshomaru showered her neck with kisses, but she giggled and pushed him away. Biting down in slight annoyance, Sesshomaru allowed her to take Kai and rest him on her hip.

To date, it had been _months_ since she'd allowed him to go any further than a few open mouthed kisses. He was trying, _really trying_ to put his fast paced sex drive on temporary hold.

But it was killing him.

If his eyes even drifted to another woman's breasts, which was often, he'd berate himself all week long. Rin knew; she had to know by now, especially sense his advances were becoming more regular. He groaned quietly to himself, secretly wishing that Kai was with his grandparents as the three stepped into the master bedroom.

The birth of his second child was going to be the happiest day of his life for two entirely separate reasons. He watched with a small level of impatience as his darling wife-to-be danced around the room, ogling every little detail. He was suppose to be enjoying her delighted squeals over the new home he had picked out for his growing family, but he couldn't shake the sudden selfish wave that washed over him.

She turned back to look at him after exiting a thoroughly explored bathroom, and caught his dampened disposition before he could change his face. Immediately, her excitement died. Cursing silently, he offered her a quick smile.

"Wait until you see the back yard."

Her smile revamped itself, but before she left the room she gently squeezed his arm. A suggestive wink had his eye brow raised, and a fire ignited in his pants.

"Not much longer, baby."

With that she sung her way out of the room, holding a giggling and smiling Kai.

"Sess, I love this house! I'm going to love you forever!"

Laughing, Sesshomaru stuck his hands into the pockets of his Bermuda shorts. He surveyed the room for a short period; golden eyes fell onto the bed. Though he couldn't wait for his baby to be born, he knew that this was the start of many more nine months to come.

If only he could convince Rin to do it a few more times…

"Sess! Sesshomaru! Kai needs to go to the bathroom! ... me too!"

Sighing and grinning to himself, he backtracked out of the room and closed the door. He, an esteemed business tycoon, was conquered and taken down by a mere pretty girl. One could only call it a corporate takedown.

**End.**

**THEEEEEEEE ENDDDDDDDDDDDD ;) I heart this story :D Show me how much you enjoyed it by reviewing or messaging me, ether way tell me whatcha think. Again, check out the first chappy of Heart Therapy, and tell me what you think of my newest work too. Well, this is me, signing out until next time :) - AF**


End file.
